The U.S. Month at a Glance (February 2005)

A snapshot of the U.S. economy for the last six months.

Document Highlights

• U.S. real GDP increased at an annualized rate of 3.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2004.
• The Conference Board Inc.’s index of consumer confidence added 0.7 points in January, in the wake of a 10-point gain in December.
• The economy created 146,000 new jobs in January, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.2 per cent.