The potential impact of the virus shutdown on the economy was vividly portrayed by an economic advisor in the Trump Administation on Monday. CNBC reports:
The U.S. economy could contract at its worst rate since the Great Depression later this year due to the coronavirus crisis, warned Kevin Hassett, who recently rejoined the Trump administration as a senior economic advisor.
The initial look at gross domestic product for the first quarter, out on Wednesday, will be a negative number, Hassett said on “Squawk Box.” However, he said the real damage to the economy from the coronavirus will be revealed further down the road. “You’re looking at something like minus 20% to minus 30% in the second quarter.”
The average estimates in the CNBC Rapid Update economic survey, as of late last week, showed a 5.3% decline in first-quarter GDP and about a 29% contraction in the second quarter.
