U.S. Economic Growth Slowed in Fourth Quarter

[applegrove]

U.S. Economic Growth Slowed in Fourth Quarter

February 20, 2026 at 10:48 am EST By Chris Riback 101 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2026/02/20/u-s-economic-growth-slowed-in-fourth-quarter/

“The U.S. economy grew at a 1.4% annual rate in the fourth quarter, weighed down by a record-long government shutdown,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“For 2025, the economy grew 2.2%, the slowest annual growth since 2022, according to Commerce Department data. Consumer confidence dropped in January to a more than decade-low level, and job creation stalled in 2025.”

Financial Times: “As recently as last month, analysts had expected bumper fourth-quarter growth, driven by robust spending by richer consumers and AI-fuelled business investment. The Atlanta Fed had predicted a GDP growth rate as high as 5.4 per cent.”