您現(xiàn)在的位置: > Language Tips > Audio & Video > Normal Speed News  
     





     
    US Federal Reserve chief paints mixed economic picture
    [ 2007-03-29 09:12 ]

    The United States' top monetary official says the country's economy continues to grow and create jobs, but is hindered by several factors, including negative developments in the housing industry. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, where Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke at a hearing of Congress' Joint Economic Committee.

    If legislators were looking for a clear-cut, decisive prediction on the future of the U.S. economy, they did not get it from Ben Bernanke. The U.S. central bank chief noted several positive trends that suggest further economic expansion, including rising exports and continued job creation.

    "The continuing increases in employment, together with some pick-up in real wages, have helped sustain consumer spending, which increased at a brisk pace in the second half of last year, and has continued to be well maintained so far this year," he said.

    "Growth in consumer spending should continue to support the economic expansion in coming quarters," he continued.

    But Bernanke was quick to add that all is not well. In particular, he pointed to a dramatic slowdown in America's once-booming housing market, regarded as a primary engine of U.S. economic growth in recent years.

    "To the downside, the correction in the housing market could turn out to be more severe than we currently expect, perhaps exacerbated by problems in the sub-prime sector," the Federal Reserve chairman said.

    "Moreover, we could see yet greater spillover from the weakness in housing to employment and consumer spending than has occurred thus far," he added.

    The "sub-prime sector" refers to mortgages held by roughly 10 percent of U.S. homeowners that often feature higher interest rates and sometimes allow a homeowner to pay only the interest on their loan, thereby accruing no equity. Such plans are generally offered to people with poor credit or low income levels.

    Foreclosures in the sub-prime sector have skyrocketed in recent months, leading U.S. officials and legislators to question the lending practices of some financial institutions.

    The Federal Reserve Board decides when and whether to raise or lower interest rates, based on its reading of current economic conditions and its projections of future ones. Many look to the Federal Reserve chairman as America's top economic prognosticator.

    Earlier this month, Bernanke's predecessor, Alan Greenspan, said there is a one in three chance that the United States will slide into a recession by year's end.

    Speaking on Capitol Hill, Bernanke said there is insufficient evidence to conclude that America's five-year economic expansion will "die of old age."



    點(diǎn)擊進(jìn)入更多VOA常速



    clear-cut
     : clean and obvious(清晰明了的)

    foreclosure : the act of foreclosing, especially a legal proceeding by which a mortgage is foreclosed(抵押贖回權(quán)的喪失)

    prognosticator : 預(yù)言者

    (來(lái)源:VOA  英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津姍姍編輯

     

     
     
    相關(guān)文章 Related Stories
     
    Britain to withdraw 1,600 troops in Iraq Iraq still dominates US Presidential race
    Violence across Iraq scattered Iraq dominates early stage of US presidential race
             
     
     
     
     
     
             

     

     

     
     

    48小時(shí)內(nèi)最熱門(mén)

         

    本頻道最新推薦

         
      《天堂》之見(jiàn):Inside your heaven
      The Patriot《愛(ài)國(guó)者》(精講之五)
      Trying to understand food labels
      Senate backs timeline for US troop withdrawal from Iraq
      Socially responsible investing grows

    論壇熱貼

         
      How to Solve Traffic Problem in Big City
      Animal Farm by George Orwell
      how to say 農(nóng)村信用合作社
      “江湖”英文要怎么說(shuō)?
      老地方見(jiàn)!怎么說(shuō)呢?
      急火攻心?






    精品国产一区二区三区无码| 国产精品中文久久久久久久| 亚洲午夜福利精品无码| 久久无码中文字幕东京热| 人看的www视频中文字幕| 精品无码AV一区二区三区不卡| 青娱乐在线国产中文字幕免費資訊| 嫩草影院无码av| 日韩AV无码精品人妻系列| 久久久久亚洲AV无码专区首JN| 中文字幕久久精品无码| 久久无码国产| 精品无码av一区二区三区 | 中文字幕久久久久人妻| 成在线人AV免费无码高潮喷水| 亚洲AV无码久久精品蜜桃| 国产成人无码AV一区二区在线观看 | 久久亚洲精品中文字幕三区| 无码8090精品久久一区| 成人av片无码免费天天看| 日韩国产精品无码一区二区三区 | 老子午夜精品无码| 直接看的成人无码视频网站| 狠狠精品久久久无码中文字幕 | 日本中文字幕中出在线| 色吊丝中文字幕| 中文字幕aⅴ人妻一区二区| 最近中文字幕大全免费版在线 | 亚洲日韩v无码中文字幕| 久久精品中文无码资源站| 日本妇人成熟免费中文字幕 | 五十路熟妇高熟无码视频| 国产亚洲精久久久久久无码AV| 50岁人妻丰满熟妇αv无码区| 国产久热精品无码激情| 久久99久久无码毛片一区二区 | 中文字幕精品一区二区日本| 欧美日韩中文字幕久久伊人| 欧美精品丝袜久久久中文字幕| 开心久久婷婷综合中文字幕| 五月婷婷在线中文字幕观看|