US Economy Grows at 1.5 Percent in Second Quarter
9 sources across 7 countries
Who reported this
- UOL
- Folha de S.Paulo
- The Guardian
- Financial Times
- La Tercera
- South China Morning Post
- Business Day
- El Pais
- Associated Press
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- Hatched: the outlet is state-affiliated or state-controlled
Lean is where the outlet sits in its OWN country's politics, never on one global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
Ownership is disclosed, never rated.
The United States economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Commerce. This figure represents a slowdown from the 2.1 percent growth recorded in the first quarter and fell below expectations, with some analysts having predicted a rate of 2.1 percent.
The deceleration was attributed to rising imports and a decrease in public spending. However, domestic demand remained robust. Consumer spending surged at a rate of 3.2 percent last quarter, supported by larger tax refunds and the hosting of the FIFA World Cup. Business investment also provided strength, particularly through expenditures on equipment related to artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Inflation continues to remain above the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target. The personal consumption expenditures price index rose 3.7 percent year over year in June, a decrease from the 4.1 percent increase seen in May. Core consumer prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, rose by 3.3 percent.
The Federal Reserve opted to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting. This decision was not unanimous, as three regional Fed presidents dissented in favor of raising rates to combat elevated inflation. Despite these pressures, the job market has recovered from a lackluster 2025, with employers adding an average of 92,000 jobs per month this year compared to fewer than 10,000 per month in the previous year.
Outlets with a center-left lean frame the economic growth as sluggish and emphasize the frustration of Americans facing high costs ahead of the November midterm elections. Center-right outlets highlight the resilience of the economy and point to robust domestic demand and AI investments as evidence of underlying strength. Center outlets focus primarily on the data's failure to meet market expectations.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets framed the growth as sluggish and emphasized the negative impact of inflation on citizens before the midterm elections.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the objective data and the fact that growth fell short of analyst expectations.
- Centre-right
- These outlets highlighted the resilience of the US economy, emphasizing robust consumer spending and AI investment.
Sources
- Centre Associated Press: US economy grows at a sluggish 1.5% in second-quarter with inflation remaining stubbornly high - AP News
- Centre-right Business Day: US economy posts sluggish growth ahead of November midterms
- Centre-left El Pais: The economy of the United States grows less than expected in the second quarter
- Centre Financial Times: US economy grew less than expected at 1.5% rate in second quarter
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: US GDP slows down in the 2nd quarter, but internal demand remains robust
- Centre-right La Tercera: The USA economy slows down in the second quarter and grows less than expected
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: US economic growth slows in second quarter but domestic demand robust
- Centre-left The Guardian: Uncertainty shrouds Blanche’s nomination to be Trump’s next attorney general as key Republicans postpone vote – live
- Centre-left The Guardian: US economy grows sluggish 1.5% in second quarter as inflation tops Fed target
- Centre-left UOL: US economy grows less than expected in the 2nd quarter
Faithfulness score: 0.88 (fraction of claims supported by the sources, self-judged).