Recessions

Fitch Solutions / Economics / Bulgaria / Tue 21 Aug, 2018

Japan's longest straight period of expansion in nearly three decades ended in the first quarter of this year as the economy shrank at an annualized rate of 0.6 percent.

According to a research of the German IMC Institute, the possibilities to begin a global financial crisis very soon has sharply increased and is now 32.4 percent.

IMK warns that there will be a major change in central bank policy, which could lead to a severe deterioration of the European economy and even to a new recession. 

The World Bank lowered its forecast for economic growth in the western Balkans to 3.2 percent in 2018 from its previous forecast of 3.3 percent and warned that structural reforms are necessary if the region wants to grow sustainably over the medium term.

The national unemployment rate of the previous year's last quarter was 4.7 percent, equal to the one recorded in the previous quarter, and the highest level of unemployment, of 21.2 pct was reached among young people (15-24 years old), according to data released on Wednesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Greece's economy grew for a fourth straight quarter in October-December, driven by stronger investment spending, but the pace was slower than in the previous quarter, the statistics service ELSTAT said on Monday.
   

Greece and Italy are the only housing markets in the European Union to show a continued decline in prices in the third quarter of last year, according to figures issued on Thursday by Eurostat.

Consumer sentiment soared last summer with the growth in tourism, as Nielsen's confidence index jumped eight points in July-September from the second quarter of 2017, reaching 60 points - its highest point since the first quarter of 2015, when it came to 65 points.

Russia's economy shrank surprisingly in November 2017, mainly as a result of declining industrial production, BNR reported. National radio refers to the ministry of economy, quoted by Reuters.

Gross domestic product declined by 0.3% in November compared to a year earlier, thus defeating forecasts by economists and analysts for growth of 1.5 percent.

The World Bank on Dec. 19 raised its forecast for China’s economic growth in 2017 to 6.8 percent from 6.7 percent it projected in October, as personal consumption and foreign trade supported growth.