A key indicator that gauges the health of the American economy fell for the tenth straight month in December, exceeding forecasts and suggesting a potential recession in the months ahead.
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the United States declined by 1 percent, to 110.5 in December, following a 1.1 percent decrease in November, according to a press release on Jan. 23. For the six-month period between June and December, the LEI has registered a decline of 4.2 percent, which is a “much steeper rate of decline” compared to the 1.9 percent decrease in the previous six months.
“The U.S. LEI fell sharply again in December—continuing to signal recession for the U.S. economy in the near term,” said Ataman Ozyildirim, senior director, economics, at The Conference Board….