Information
Bookshop | Donate Derechos | Equipo Nizkor

06Aug13

---

Italy recession drags on but GDP falls less than expected

---

Italy's economy shrank by less than expected in the second quarter, adding to recent signs its longest post-war recession is bottoming out but still marking the eighth consecutive quarter of contraction.

Gross domestic product fell 0.2 percent following a 0.6 contraction in the first three months, and dropped 2.0 percent on an annual basis, national statistics bureau ISTAT reported on Tuesday.

A Reuters survey of analysts had expected a second quarter fall of 0.4 percent, down 2.2 percent annually.

Leading indicators over the last few weeks have suggested the recession is easing and many analysts are predicting a return to very modest growth in the fourth or possibly even the third quarter.

It fits with a general easing of decline across much of the euro zone.

However, Italian political turmoil threatens to derail the fledgling recovery in the euro zone's third largest economy following last week's conviction of centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta on Monday appealed to political parties to show responsibility to keep his government afloat.

Over the whole of this year, GDP is expected to fall by around 1.8 percent, following the 2.4 percent contraction in 2012.

Letta, who took office in April at the head of a broad left-right coalition, faces an arduous task to try to stimulate the economy while keeping a rein on Italy's strained public finances.

ISTAT gave no numerical breakdown of GDP components with its preliminary estimate, saying only that activity had contracted in all the main sectors of activity - industry, services and agriculture.

It said so called "acquired growth" at the end of the second quarter stood at -1.7 percent.

This means that if GDP posts a flat quarterly reading in the final two quarters of 2013, over the whole year it will be down 1.7 percent from the previous year.

[Source: By Gavin Jones, Reuters, Rome, 06Aug13]

Informes sobre DESC

This document has been published on 06Aug13 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.