GDPNow sees 35% contraction in Q2

The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the second quarter of 2020 is -34.9 percent on May 8, down from -17.6 percent on May 5. After this morning's releases of the employment report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the wholesale trade report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the nowcasts of second-quarter real personal consumption expenditures growth and second-quarter real gross private domestic investment growth decreased from -21.7 percent and -22.1 percent, respectively, to -33.9 percent and -62.8 percent, respectively. Also, the nowcast of second-quarter real government spending growth decreased from 1.9 percent to -6.7 percent, while the nowcast of the contribution of the change in real net exports to second-quarter real GDP growth increased from 0.82 percentage points to 1.62 percentage points.