The growth will be better than expected euro zone
It's official: the economy in the euro zone will be better than expected. The European Central Bank has acknowledged Thursday by raising its growth forecast for 2010 and 2011. According to new figures, the business would grow in 2010 in a range between 1.4 and 1.8% from 0.7% to 1.3% estimated earlier. By 2011, growth would be between 0.5% and 2.3%, against +0.2% +2.2% previously.
"The range of real GDP growth this year has been revised upward due to stronger than expected rebound in economic growth in the second quarter and better than expected trends observed during the months of summer," explained the ECB president, Jean-Claude Trichet."For 2011, the band has also been revised up to reflect mainly the lingering effects of the stronger growth expected in late 2010."
Uncertainty
Despite these upward revisions, "uncertainty continues to prevail," said Jean-Claude Trichet nuanced. On the other hand, "the resumption of activity should be constrained by the process of balance sheet adjustments in various sectors and the prospects of the labor market."
Especially, the growth differentials are widening between the different countries of the eurozone, economists noted. When Germany led the run with 2.2% growth in the second quarter, Greece sinking into recession with a decline of 1.5% of GDP. Same trend for national unemployment rates. In these circumstances, the ECB's strategy looks complicated.
This is not a problem, "replied Jean-Claude Trichet: the Fed, the U.S., is in the same position for decades with 50 states. "Over the past decade, the lowest growth of a U.S. state was 0.9% (Ohio) and the highest 4.7% (Arizona). We observed the same discrepancy in the euro area over the same period, "argued the president of the ECB. Same thing for the unemployment rates have spread from 3.5% to 14% depending on the states. Again, we found the same range in the Eurozone. "