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Prefatory Note

The attached document represents the most complete and accurate version available
based on original files from the FOMC Secretariat at the Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System.
Please note that some material may have been redacted from this document if that
material was received on a confidential basis. Redacted material is indicated by
occasional gaps in the text or by gray boxes around non-text content. All redacted
passages are exempt from disclosure under applicable provisions of the Freedom of
Information Act.

Content last modified 02/07/2013.

Class II FOMC - Restricted (FR)

Part 1

August 2, 2007

CURRENT ECONOMIC
AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
Summary and Outlook

Prepared for the Federal Open Market Committee
by the staff of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Class II FOMC - Restricted (FR)

August 2, 2007

Summary and Outlook

Prepared for the Federal Open Market Committee
by the staff of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Domestic Developments
The outlook for resource utilization remains broadly similar to the one we presented in
the June Greenbook. Over the first half of this year, real GDP rose 2 percent at an annual
rate, in line with our forecast in the June Greenbook, but we have revised down our
assumption regarding the growth of potential output. As a result, we now see product
markets as having been slightly tighter at the end of the second quarter than we had
expected. On the other hand, financial markets have become less supportive of growth
and some near-term indicators of activity have been softer than expected, making
prospects for the growth of real GDP relative to potential over the next six quarters less
bright than before. The tighter product markets at midyear, combined with slower
growth relative to potential going forward, leave resource utilization at the end of 2008
only a little less tight than in our forecast in the June Greenbook. Similarly, pending
Friday’s labor market report, we see the unemployment rate following the same trajectory
as we did in June.
Although our projection for the GDP gap next year is little changed from the last
Greenbook, we have marked down our forecast for the growth of real GDP over the next
six quarters considerably. The most important factor generating this adjustment has been
our interpretation of the BEA’s annual revision to the national income and product
accounts (discussed in the appendix to Greenbook Part II), which led us to reduce our
estimates of the growth rates of potential GDP and structural productivity by about
1/3 percentage point per year from 2004 forward. Combining the downward adjustment
to productivity, the weaker financial conditions, and the softer tone of some near-term
indicators, we now anticipate that real GDP will rise about 2 percent at an annual rate in
the second half of this year and in 2008, about ½ percentage point lower than in the June
Greenbook projection.
Our forecast of inflation is little changed since the last Greenbook. Some underlying
factors have become a bit less favorable for the inflation outlook: In particular, we now
see the contributions from import and energy prices as slightly greater, and structural
productivity has been revised down. Nonetheless, in light of the continued favorable
monthly readings on core inflation over the past several months, we have edged down our
forecast of core inflation over the second half of this year and left it unchanged for 2008.
We now project core PCE prices to rise 2.1 percent in the second half of 2007 and
2 percent in 2008. Headline PCE inflation was boosted by sizable increases in energy
and food prices in the first half of this year. As these factors abate, we expect total PCE

I-1

I-2

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

inflation to slow to 2.1 percent at an annual rate in the second half of 2007 and to
1.8 percent in 2008.
In putting this projection together, we have factored in our assessment of the implications
of the developments in financial markets over the past several weeks. As we spell out in
greater detail below, we have adjusted our projection in light of those developments in
three key areas: PCE, residential investment, and business investment in equipment and
software. However, the combined effect of these adjustments on the average growth rate
of real GDP over the forecast period is on the order of just ¼ percentage point at an
annual rate (including the usual wealth effects associated with lower equity values). The
effects are not larger because the financial condition of most businesses and households
remains good; because we expect the current logjam in financing activity to be limited in
duration; and because the average cost of credit for businesses and households, while up
from the low levels recorded in the past few months, remains relatively favorable. We
recognize, however, that the effects of tighter financial conditions could be more farranging and deeper than we expect, so in the alternative-simulations section we analyze
the downside risk associated with a more severe financial contraction.
Key Background Factors
Given our current assessment that the recent turmoil in financial markets will have only a
limited effect on resource utilization and that underlying inflation pressures will not
subside materially, we continue to assume that the Committee will hold the federal funds
rate at 5¼ percent through the end of 2008. Market participants, in contrast, have revised
down their anticipated path for policy and now expect the federal funds rate to decline to
about 4½ percent by the end of next year. This revision in the policy outlook, along with
a decline in the term premium driven by a flight to quality, has pushed the ten-year
Treasury yield down about 30 basis points since the last Greenbook. We expect the
Treasury rate to drift up over the forecast period, on the assumption that as quality
concerns abate, the term premium will rise from the low level now prevailing and that, as
moderate growth continues and core inflation remains near 2 percent, market
expectations for the federal funds rate will move closer to ours.
Since we closed the June Greenbook, the fixed mortgage rate for prime borrowers and the
Baa corporate bond yield have moved down less than Treasury yields, widening their
spreads over Treasuries by about 25 basis points. Meanwhile, spreads for speculativegrade corporate bonds have jumped roughly 130 basis points. We anticipate that much of

I-3

Class II FOMC -- Restricted (FR)

Key Background Factors Underlying the Baseline Staff Projection
Federal Funds Rate

Long-Term Interest Rates
Percent

7

7

Quarterly average
6
Current (and June)
Greenbook
Market forecast

5

8

8

Baa corporate rate

7

7

June GB

4

4

3

3

2

2

1

1

4

0

3

6

0

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

5

Equity Prices
230

9

Quarterly average

6
5

Percent

9

6

June GB

10-year
Treasury rate

5
4

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

3

House Prices
2003:Q1=100, ratio scale

Quarter-end

230

170

Quarterly

210

June GB

2003:Q1=100, ratio scale

170

150

190

June GB

170

OFHEO purchaseonly index

150

130

130
110

Wilshire 5000
110

90

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

90

90

Crude Oil Prices

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

90

Broad Real Dollar
Dollars per barrel

90

90

2003:Q1=100

105

Quarterly average

105

Quarterly average

80

80

70

June GB

70

60

100

95

95

60

50

100

50

90

West Texas
intermediate

2004

2005

2006

85

80

80

20

75

40

30
2003

85

30

40

20

90

June GB

2007

2008

Note. In each panel, shading represents the projection period.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

75

I-4

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

this repricing of risk will persist throughout the forecast period, even as the current
disruption in the flow of financing fades away.
Equity prices currently stand a bit more than 5 percent below the level that we expected
in the June Greenbook. We have taken this decline on board and, in line with our usual
practice, assume that share prices will henceforth increase at a rate of 6½ percent per
year, which would roughly maintain risk-adjusted parity with the return on Treasury
securities. Regarding house prices, we have lowered our projection in light of the
declines indicated by the Case-Shiller index and the weaker trajectory of home sales in
this forecast. We now expect that the purchase-only version of the OFHEO price index
will edge down at an annual rate of about ½ percent through the end of 2008.
Our fiscal assumptions are unchanged from the June Greenbook. We continue to assume
that increases in real defense spending will slow a bit next year as outlays for military
activities in Iraq and Afghanistan decelerate. This assumption is consistent with the
proposals for defense spending in the Administration’s Mid-Session Review. We also
continue to assume that nondefense spending will hold steady in real terms throughout
the forecast period and that relief from the alternative minimum tax will be extended
through calendar 2008. In all, federal fiscal policy is expected to provide an impetus to
real GDP growth of roughly 0.2 percentage point in both 2007 and 2008, about the same
as in the June Greenbook. We expect that the federal budget will post deficits of
$165 billion in fiscal year 2007 and $225 billion in fiscal 2008, both little changed from
the last Greenbook.
The spot price of West Texas intermediate (WTI) crude oil has moved up to almost
$77 per barrel, about $7 per barrel above its level at the time of the June Greenbook.
This increase partly reflects supply disruptions in the North Sea as well as the dissipation
of some of the idiosyncratic weakness in the spot price of WTI relative to the price of
other grades of crude oil. In contrast, futures prices for WTI delivered next year have not
changed significantly since the time of the June Greenbook, and our projection for WTI
at the end of 2008 remains about $73 per barrel.
The foreign exchange value of the dollar has fallen since the last Greenbook, and we have
lowered the projected level of the real trade-weighted dollar over the second half of this
year by about 1 percent. We continue to assume that the broad real dollar will depreciate
at an annual rate of roughly 2 percent over the forecast period. The available data
suggest that foreign economic activity was stronger in the second quarter than we had

Domestic Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-5

anticipated, with growth averaging just above 4 percent. However, we continue to expect
growth to average 3½ percent through the end of 2008, little changed from last
Greenbook.
Recent Developments and the Near-Term Outlook
We now estimate that real GDP rose at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in the second
quarter, almost ½ percentage point faster than we had projected in the June Greenbook.
The upside surprise was primarily attributable to higher levels of both residential and
business investment than we had anticipated. With other indicators suggesting a
continuing deterioration in the housing market and with the incoming data pointing to
moderate rates of increase in other components of household and business spending in
coming months, we anticipate that real GDP growth will step down to roughly
2¼ percent in the third quarter, about ¼ percentage point below our forecast in the
previous Greenbook.
Labor demand has continued to run slightly ahead of our expectations, with private
nonfarm payrolls up an average of 115,000 per month over the last three months, in line
with their first-quarter pace. The limited extent of the decline in construction
employment has been particularly surprising given the substantial deterioration in the
housing market, but we anticipate that firms in this sector will begin to shed workers
more aggressively in coming months. We expect overall gains in private employment
this quarter to slow to an average of 70,000 per month. The unemployment rate was
4.5 percent in June, but, as the pace of hiring slows, we expect it to edge up to 4.6 percent
in the current quarter.
Manufacturing output excluding motor vehicles rose about 2¾ percent at an annual rate
in the second quarter after having been flat, on balance, in the previous two quarters. The
recent firming in this sector is consistent with our view that the inventory correction that
began late last year is largely complete, and we expect manufacturing production
excluding motor vehicles to increase faster in the current quarter. In the motor vehicle
sector, we project that total assemblies will step up from an annual rate of 11 million
units in the second quarter to a rate of 11½ million units in the current quarter, somewhat
below current industry schedules.
Real consumer spending is estimated to have increased at an annual rate of about
1¼ percent in the second quarter. That lackluster performance was not unexpected given
the outsized consumption gains in the preceding two quarters and the second-quarter

I-6

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

Summary of the Near-Term Outlook
(Percent change at annual rate except as noted)
2007:Q2
Measure

Real GDP
Private domestic final purchases
Personal consumption expenditures
Residential investment
Business fixed investment
Government outlays for consumption
and investment

2007:Q3

June August June August
GB
GB
GB
GB
3.0
.9
1.6
-12.2
2.8

3.4
1.5
1.3
-10.4
9.6

2.5
1.3
2.3
-18.3
4.4

2.2
.7
2.0
-19.6
2.4

4.7

4.5

3.4

3.2

Contribution to growth
(percentage points)
Inventory investment
Net exports

.3
1.0

.2
1.0

.3
.3

.4
.5

surge in energy prices. For the third quarter, we expect the pace of real consumer
spending to move up to 2 percent at an annual rate as energy price increases abate and as
consumption moves more in line with the underlying fundamentals.
Housing demand appears to have deteriorated since the last Greenbook. Sales of new and
existing homes were weaker than expected in June—the former especially so—and credit
availability in the subprime market has tightened further. Despite the ongoing
deterioration in demand, housing starts have changed little in recent months. According
to the official tally from the Census Bureau, builders have made no progress in reducing
their inventories of unsold new homes,
. Given
the supply imbalance and our expectation of continued weakness in demand, we
anticipate that builders will soon act to cut production further. In all, we project that
residential investment will contract at an annual rate of 20 percent in the third quarter
following the surprisingly modest decline of only 10½ percent in the second quarter.
Real investment in equipment and software (E&S) rose at an annual rate of 2¾ percent in
the second quarter, held down by continued weakness in transportation outlays.
Excluding the transportation sector, E&S spending in the second quarter was quite brisk,
rising 9½ percent at an annual rate. Much of this increase was attributable to spending on
capital goods outside of high-tech; outlays in this category posted large gains after having

Domestic Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-7

fallen over the previous three quarters. Meanwhile, high-tech spending grew at a
moderate pace in the second quarter after a robust first quarter. We expect E&S spending
in the current quarter to rise 2¾ percent at an annual rate, the same as in the second
quarter: Purchases of heavy and medium trucks are projected to recover, and high-tech
spending is expected to grow at a moderate rate. However, investment in capital goods
outside the high-tech and transportation sectors is expected to level off, reflecting the
recent data on orders and shipments and the small negative effects on spending of the
recent financial developments.
Nonresidential construction surged in the second quarter, rising almost 27 percent at an
annual rate. As we had expected on the basis of the available monthly indicators, outlays
for the construction of buildings posted a large increase. However, we were surprised by
the jump in drilling and mining spending, which increased at an annual rate of 48 percent.
For the third quarter, we expect spending on nonresidential structures to be up only
1½ percent at an annual rate, reflecting a partial retrenchment of outlays for drilling and
mining structures and a return to moderate growth in outlays for building construction.
Real nonfarm inventory investment is currently estimated to have been a roughly neutral
influence on GDP growth in the second quarter after having held down GDP growth by
an average of 1 percentage point in the previous two quarters. This swing in the
contribution of inventories is consistent with our view, noted previously, that firms have
largely worked off the excess inventory accumulation that began late last year. In the
current quarter, we expect inventory investment to contribute almost ½ percentage point
to real GDP growth, reflecting a return of inventory investment to a pace more in line
with expected sales.
In the government sector, real federal spending rose at an annual rate of 6¾ percent in the
second quarter, reflecting a rebound in defense spending from its first-quarter decline and
a small increase in nondefense spending. Given the enacted appropriations for defense,
we expect real federal spending to rise a further 5¼ percent at an annual rate in the
current quarter. In the state and local sector, real spending rose at an annual rate of
roughly 3¼ percent in the second quarter, a bit faster than we had expected. In light of
the generally tighter state budgets for the 2008 fiscal year, we project real spending in the
current quarter to rise at a more moderate annual rate of about 2 percent.
We estimate that real net exports contributed 1 percentage point to real GDP growth in
the second quarter, as imports contracted and exports accelerated. Although imports are
expected to turn up modestly this quarter, strong foreign growth and the depreciation of

I-8

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

the dollar are anticipated to keep exports on a solid upward trajectory. As a result, we
have raised our projection of the contribution of net exports in the current quarter to
roughly ½ percentage point, about ¼ percentage point above our June Greenbook
forecast.
After having posted fairly large increases early this year, core PCE prices decelerated to
an annual rate of only 1.4 percent in the second quarter. We continue to view the secondquarter slowing as being importantly driven by transitory factors—in particular, low
readings both for apparel prices, which tend to be volatile, and for owners’ equivalent
rent, which accelerated somewhat toward the end of the quarter. We are thus projecting
core inflation to move back up to a 2 percent pace in the current quarter. Soaring energy
prices and rising food prices pushed up headline inflation to an annual rate of roughly
4¼ percent in the second quarter. We expect a flattening out of energy prices and a slight
deceleration in food prices to bring down overall PCE inflation to an annual rate of about
2¼ percent this quarter.
The Longer-Term Outlook
Our forecast has real GDP growing at a 2 percent annual rate in the second half of 2007
and in 2008, about ½ percentage point slower than in the June Greenbook. As noted
previously, much of this downward revision reflects a reduction in our estimate of the
rate of potential GDP growth, although the recent developments in mortgage and other
financial markets—partially offset by the depreciation of the dollar—also play an
important role. All else equal, the slower projected growth in potential GDP passes
roughly one-for-one into our projection for aggregate demand because the less favorable
supply conditions imply a correspondingly slower rate of increase in households’
permanent income and firms’ expected profitability. We project core inflation to average
2.1 percent at an annual rate over the second half of this year and 2 percent next year.
With energy prices falling and food prices increasing about in line with the core, overall
PCE prices rise 1.8 percent next year.
Household spending. Real personal consumption expenditures are projected to rise at an
annual rate of roughly 2 percent in both the second half of 2007 and in 2008, about
½ percentage point slower on average than in the last Greenbook. This revision largely
reflects the decline in the stock market and the downward revision to our assumption
about the growth rate of potential GDP (and, hence, of permanent income). As before,
we anticipate that the pace of consumer spending will remain a little below the pace of

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-9

Domestic Developments

Projections of Real GDP
(Percent change at annual rate from end of
preceding period except as noted)
2007

Measure

2008

H1

H2

2.0
2.0

1.9
2.3

2.0
2.5

2.3
2.3

1.5
1.9

2.1
2.6

2.5
3.0

2.0
2.3

2.0
2.5

-13.4
-14.1

-20.5
-16.7

-4.0
-1.3

5.8
3.1

3.4
4.0

3.1
4.6

Government purchases
Previous

2.0
2.8

3.0
3.2

1.5
1.9

Exports
Previous

3.3
3.3

6.2
6.0

5.8
5.7

Imports
Previous

.7
1.4

2.7
3.8

3.0
3.8

Real GDP
Previous
Final sales
Previous
PCE
Previous
Residential investment
Previous
BFI
Previous

Contribution to growth
(percentage points)
Inventory change
Previous
Net exports
Previous

-.2
-.3

.4
.5

-.1
-.1

.3
.1

.2
.1

.2
.0

income growth over the forecast period, so that the personal saving rate, which was
revised up in the NIPA revisions, moves higher over the forecast period.
In this projection, we have factored in an estimate of the effect that developments in the
subprime-mortgage market will have on consumption. In particular, most households
with variable-rate subprime mortgages will face at least one interest rate reset over the
next year and a half and, thus, rising debt-service costs. However, some rough figures

I-10

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

suggest that the cumulative effect of these resets will be to lower the level of
consumption by the end of 2008 by less than 0.1 percent.1
We continue to assume that residential investment will weaken through the first half of
next year and then begin a gradual recovery in the second half of 2008. Relative to last
Greenbook, we have marked down our projection of housing activity to reflect the
sharper deterioration in demand evident in the recent data on home sales, the further
tightening of credit availability in the subprime-mortgage market, the slightly higher path
for prime mortgage rates, and the lack of progress that builders have made thus far in
reducing their stocks of unsold homes. In particular, we now project that single-family
housing starts will decline from an annual rate of 1.17 million units in the first half of this
year to roughly 1 million units at an annual rate in the second half. For 2008, we project
that housing starts will hold to that rate in the first half of the year before edging up to a
1.05 million unit pace in the second half. In the multifamily sector, we continue to
expect starts to remain at about their recent pace. Consistent with our starts forecast, real
residential investment is projected to fall at annual rates of 20 percent in the second half
of 2007 and 10 percent in the first half of 2008 before edging up at annual rate of roughly
3 percent over the second half of next year.
Business investment. We project that business spending on equipment and software will
rise at an annual rate of roughly 4 percent over the projection period. Spending on hightech equipment is projected to increase at nearly an 8 percent pace, while outlays for
motor vehicles are anticipated to pick up from their recent low levels. In contrast,
spending on equipment outside of the high-tech and transportation sectors is projected to
rise at an annual rate of just ½ percent over the next six quarters, slowed by the
deceleration in business output this year. Our projection for the growth in spending on
capital goods in this forecast is somewhat lower than that in the previous Greenbook. In
the main, this downward adjustment is attributable to the annual NIPA revisions, which
reduced E&S spending, business output, and profits from what had been reported

1

We estimate that 4.7 million variable-rate subprime loans are scheduled to face interest rate resets
over the next year and a half. The potential cumulative increase in payments associated with these resets is
approximately $12 billion over the period. By 2008, this total represents about 0.1 percent of disposable
income, but we expect the effect on consumption to be even smaller. Some consumers will still be able to
refinance rather than face these resets and others will have the resources to shield consumption from a onefor-one adjustment to the increase in interest payments. In addition, the increased interest payments from
these resets raise the incomes of other households, although they may have a lower propensity to spend out
of current income.

Domestic Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-11

previously. In addition, as noted earlier, we have built in a small negative effect from the
recent developments in financial markets.
Real outlays for nonresidential construction are expected to rise at annual rates of
2¼ percent in the second half of this year and 1½ percent in 2008. This step-down in
spending growth reflects the partial unwinding of the recent jump in outlays for drilling
and mining, the projected deceleration in business output, and our forecast of a slowdown
in employment growth.
Government spending. Our projection for real government purchases is little changed
from that in the previous Greenbook. We expect real defense purchases to increase at an
annual rate of 6¾ percent in the second half of this year and then to slow to about
2 percent in 2008 as spending increases for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan decelerate.
We continue to assume that real nondefense purchases will be roughly flat over the
forecast period. In the state and local sector, spending is projected to increase at an
annual rate of about 2 percent in the second half of 2007 and 1½ percent in 2008; this
modest decline is consistent with our expectation that revenue growth will slow over the
projection period.
Net exports. We estimate that real net exports will contribute about ¼ percentage point
to the growth of U.S. real GDP over the second half of 2007 and in 2008. This
contribution is a bit higher than in the June Greenbook and reflects the recent
depreciation of the dollar and the lower path of U.S. GDP growth. (The International
Developments section provides more detail on the outlook for the external sector.)
Aggregate Supply, the Labor Market, and Inflation
As noted previously, the annual NIPA revisions have led us to update our assumptions
about aggregate supply. In particular, we have lowered our estimates of the growth rates
of both potential GDP and structural productivity by about 1/3 percentage point in each
year from 2004 onward. Structural labor productivity is now assumed to increase a little
less than 2 percent per year in both 2007 and 2008, and potential GDP is assumed to rise
at an annual rate of 2.2 percent. Our estimate of the NAIRU remains at 5 percent.
Productivity and the labor market. With both structural and actual productivity
revised down by similar amounts, the level of actual productivity continues to be lower
than the level of structural productivity. As in previous Greenbooks, we expect this gap
to close slowly over time as employment falls back in line with production. We now

I-12

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

Decomposition of Structural Labor Productivity
Nonfarm Business Sector
(Percent change, Q4 to Q4, except as noted)
1974- 1996- 200195
2000
03

Measure
Structural labor productivity
Previous

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

3.1
3.1

2.4
2.7

2.0
2.3

2.0
2.3

1.9
2.2

1.8
2.1

1.4
1.4
.7
.7
.3

.7
.7
2.1
2.1
.3

.6
.6
1.5
1.8
.3

.6
.6
1.1
1.5
.3

.7
.7
1.1
1.4
.2

.6
.6
1.1
1.4
.2

.6
.6
1.1
1.4
.2

3.0
3.0

MEMO
Potential GDP
Previous

2.5
2.5

.7
.7
.5
.5
.3

Contributions1
Capital deepening
Previous
Multifactor productivity
Previous
Labor composition

1.5
1.5

3.3
3.3

3.0
3.0

2.3
2.6

2.2
2.5

2.2
2.6

2.2
2.6

2.2
2.5

NOTE. Components may not sum to totals because of rounding. For multiyear periods, the percent change is
the annual average from Q4 of the year preceding the first year shown to Q4 of the last year shown.
1. Percentage points.

The Outlook for the Labor Market
(Percent change, Q4 to Q4, except as noted)
Measure
Output per hour, nonfarm business
Previous
Nonfarm private payroll employment
Previous
Household survey employment
Previous
Labor force participation rate1
Previous
Civilian unemployment rate1
Previous
MEMO
GDP gap2
Previous

2005

2006

2007

2008

2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
66.1
66.1
5.0
5.0

.9
1.6
1.8
1.8
2.1
2.1
66.3
66.3
4.5
4.5

1.7
2.1
1.0
1.0
.6
.4
66.0
65.9
4.7
4.7

2.0
2.5
.6
.6
.7
.7
65.8
65.8
4.8
4.8

.3
.2

.7
.7

.4
.3

.2
.3

1. Percent, average for the fourth quarter.
2. Actual less potential GDP in the fourth quarter of the year indicated as a
percent of potential GDP. A negative number thus indicates that the economy
is operating below potential.

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-13

Domestic Developments

Inflation Projections
(Percent change, Q4 to Q4, except as noted)
2006

2007
H1

2007
H2

2008

1.9
1.9

3.9
3.9

2.1
1.9

1.8
2.0

2.3
2.3

4.7
4.6

3.3
2.6

2.2
2.2

-4.0
-3.7

32.6
33.3

-.9
-3.3

-1.6
1.2

2.3
2.2

1.9
1.9

2.1
2.2

2.0
2.0

1.9
1.9

4.9
4.9

2.2
1.9

1.9
2.2

Excluding food and energy
Previous

2.7
2.7

2.1
2.1

2.4
2.4

2.2
2.2

GDP chain-weighted price index
Previous

2.7
2.5

3.5
3.5

1.8
1.6

2.2
2.2

ECI for compensation of private
industry workers1
Previous

3.2
3.2

2.9
3.1

3.8
3.8

3.9
4.0

Compensation per hour,
nonfarm business sector
Previous

5.1
5.6

3.8
3.3

4.5
4.8

4.7
4.9

Prices of core nonfuel imports
Previous

2.4
2.7

3.1
3.7

3.6
3.3

1.6
1.6

Measure
PCE chain-weighted price index
Previous
Food and beverages
Previous
Energy
Previous
Excluding food and energy
Previous
Consumer price index
Previous

1. December to December.

project productivity growth to move up from an annual rate of about 1½ percent in the
first half of 2007 to an annual rate of about 2 percent over the next year and a half. We
anticipate that increases in private employment will average about [65,000] per month
over the forecast period, down from an average of [115,000] per month over the first half
of this year. This pace of hiring causes the unemployment rate to edge up over the
projection period, reaching 4¾ percent by the end of 2008.
Prices and wages. We project core PCE prices to rise to an annual rate of 2.1 percent in
the second half of 2007 and 2 percent in 2008. As noted previously, the low readings on
core inflation over the past several months have persuaded us to revise down the
projection for the second half of this year despite small adverse changes in several

I-14

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

underlying factors—including slightly greater contributions from import and energy
prices and the downward revision to structural productivity—that are not significant
enough for us to mark up our inflation forecast. Headline PCE inflation is expected to
slow from an annual rate of about 4 percent in the first half of this year to an annual rate
of 2.1 percent in the second half as food prices decelerate and energy prices flatten out
and eventually edge down. In 2008, PCE inflation is projected to move down to
1.8 percent, as energy prices turn down and as food prices rise roughly in line with core
prices.
Our projection for gains in compensation per hour in the nonfarm business sector rises
from 4¼ percent this year to 4¾ percent next year. This year’s increase is held down by
the reversal of large bonuses and stock option exercises that BEA estimates to have
accrued in late 2006, and we expect hourly compensation gains in 2008 to move up to a
pace more in line with what would be expected in light of past headline inflation and
productivity gains. Increases in the ECI have been lower than expected, and we project
this measure of compensation inflation to step up from 3½ percent this year to 4 percent
next year.
Financial Flows and Conditions
After having risen at an estimated annual rate of 6¾ percent over the first half of this
year, domestic nonfinancial debt is projected to decelerate to a 6 percent rate of increase
in the second half of this year and to a 5¼ percent rise in 2008, with all sectors except the
federal government expected to contribute to the deceleration.
Household debt growth has slowed considerably over the past year, reflecting the sharp
slowdown in home-price appreciation, reduced residential construction, and higher
interest rates. Our forecast calls for a further tapering off of household borrowing, as the
housing market remains weak and mortgage rates edge up further. The 4½ percent
increase in household debt anticipated for 2008 would be the slowest pace since 1991.
Amid a significant rise in delinquency rates on subprime variable-rate mortgages, some
large originators of these loans have announced changes to their programs that will likely
curtail lending in this market. However, we expect credit to remain available to the large
majority of households, whose credit quality has remained strong. All told, we see
mortgage debt increasing at an annual rate of 4¾ percent in the second half of this year
and 4½ percent next year.

Domestic Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-15

Nonfinancial business debt is estimated to have expanded at a robust annual rate of
10¾ percent in the second quarter as credit spreads narrowed to very low levels and
lending terms were attractive. However, debt issuance has slowed considerably in recent
weeks because investors have become unwilling to extend credit to risky borrowers on
such accommodative terms. We expect that market participants will come to a consensus
about risk pricing that will allow issuance to increase gradually from its current low.
Nonetheless, we expect debt growth to slow to 6½ percent in 2008 as larger spreads and
tighter terms trim corporate borrowing and the pace of mergers, acquisitions, and share
repurchases subsides.
With the unified budget deficit expected to remain close to recent levels, federal
government debt is expected to increase at a moderate pace of about 4½ percent this year
and next. Meanwhile, reduced opportunities for advance refunding amid higher interest
rates are expected to slow the growth of state and local government debt from an annual
rate of 10 percent in the first half of 2007 to 7½ percent in 2008.
After having expanded at a robust annual rate of nearly 7 percent in the first half of 2007,
M2 growth has slowed markedly in recent weeks and is projected to remain moderate
over the second half of 2007. With opportunity costs projected to decline gradually over
the projection period, we anticipate growth of M2 in the neighborhood of 4½ percent in
2008—just a bit faster than the pace of nominal GDP.
Alternative Simulations
In this section, we evaluate alternatives to the staff forecast using simulations of the
FRB/US model. The first scenario assumes that the downturn in both prices and
production in the housing market will prove more severe than in the baseline and focuses
on the implications for aggregate activity from standard wealth and multiplier effects.
The next two scenarios build on the first and examine the implications of additional
spillovers from the housing contraction to consumer confidence and to perceptions of risk
in financial markets. The fourth simulation examines an upside risk to aggregate
demand, namely the possibility that we have overestimated the desire of households to
build savings. As usual, the changes in aggregate demand in the first four simulations
have little effect on inflation over the next year and a half, although, in certain of these
simulations, a more substantial effect would emerge in 2009.2 The next two simulations

2

Aggregate demand shocks have little effect on inflation in FRB/US because changes in slack have
only modest price effects in the short run as long as monetary policy responds as it has historically. Such

I-16

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

consider two opposing risks to inflation: first, the downside risk from a lower NAIRU;
and second, the upside risk from firms attempting to maintain profit margins. In all these
scenarios, we assume that monetary policy responds to the change in the outlook as
indicated by an estimated version of the Taylor rule. In the final scenario, we assume that
monetary policy follows the path implied by quotes from the futures market.
Greater housing correction. The baseline forecast for the housing market could be too
optimistic: The pace of home sales may fall further, builders may cut back on new
construction more than we expect in an attempt to reduce their backlogs more quickly,
and home prices may decline appreciably rather than merely edge down as in the baseline
forecast. In this scenario, sales fall more and production adjusts more quickly than in the
baseline. Thus, the level of real residential investment falls 10 percent below baseline by
the middle of 2008. In addition, home prices fall 10 percent in nominal terms both this
year and next, lowering household net worth $4 trillion relative to baseline and
eliminating most of the current overvaluation in the housing market that is suggested by
some of the models we follow. The reductions in employment and income implied by the
falloff in construction activity, combined with the loss in wealth, directly damp consumer
spending and indirectly depress business investment. As a result, real GDP rises only
1½ percent next year, causing the unemployment rate to move above 5 percent by late
2008; unemployment would rise further in 2009. In response to weaker real activity, the
federal funds rate falls to 4½ percent by late next year.
Greater housing correction with spillovers to confidence. The previous scenario
focuses on the traditional channels to aggregate activity through lower wealth and
multiplier effects. However, because of the historically large decline in nominal house
prices assumed in the first scenario, consumer confidence may fall by a larger amount
than would normally be associated with reductions in income and wealth of this
magnitude. This simulation assumes that such a deterioration in consumer sentiment
results in a greater reluctance to spend by households and thus induces at least some of
the “spillover” that some analysts have been expecting from the housing situation but
which has not yet materialized. With the deterioration in confidence, the saving rate rises
a bit more than ½ percentage point above baseline by the end of next year. As a result,
real GDP increases only 1 percent in 2008, and the unemployment rate rises above
5¼ percent by the end of the same year. Despite monetary policy actions that bring the

policy responses serve to keep inflation expectations well anchored. They also lead to movements in the
dollar, and thus in import prices, that help to moderate the overall price response.

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-17

Domestic Developments

Alternative Scenarios
(Percent change, annual rate, from end of preceding period except as noted)
Measure and scenario

2007

2006
H1

2008
H2

H1

H2

Real GDP
Greenbook baseline
Greater housing correction
With spillovers to confidence
And with spillovers to financial markets
Flat saving rate
Lower NAIRU
Flat markup
Market fed fund rates

2.6
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0

1.9
1.6
1.2
1.0
2.4
2.1
1.6
1.9

1.9
1.3
.8
.3
2.7
2.3
1.5
2.0

2.1
1.6
1.2
.8
2.6
2.7
1.9
2.4

Unemployment rate1
Greenbook baseline
Greater housing correction
With spillovers to confidence
And with spillovers to financial markets
Flat saving rate
Lower NAIRU
Flat markup
Market fed fund rates

4.5
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5

4.7
4.7
4.8
4.8
4.6
4.6
4.7
4.7

4.8
4.9
5.1
5.2
4.6
4.6
4.9
4.8

4.8
5.0
5.3
5.5
4.4
4.5
5.0
4.7

Core PCE inflation
Greenbook baseline
Greater housing correction
With spillovers to confidence
And with spillovers to financial markets
Flat saving rate
Lower NAIRU
Flat markup
Market fed fund rates

2.3
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

2.1
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.6
2.1

2.1
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.6
2.2

2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.8
2.4
2.1

Federal funds rate1
Greenbook baseline
Greater housing correction
With spillovers to confidence
And with spillovers to financial markets
Flat saving rate
Lower NAIRU
Flat markup
Market fed fund rates

5.2
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

5.3
5.3
5.3
5.3
5.3
5.3
5.3
5.3

5.3
5.2
5.0
5.0
5.6
5.3
5.3
5.1

5.3
4.9
4.5
4.2
6.0
5.3
5.4
4.8

5.3
4.6
4.0
3.5
6.3
5.3
5.5
4.6

1. Percent, average for the final quarter of the period
. . . Not applicable.

I-18

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

federal funds rate to 4 percent by the end of 2008, the unemployment rate would rise
further in 2009.
Greater housing correction with spillovers to confidence and financial markets.
A greater housing correction could have even more severe effects on the economy if
financial market participants become more concerned about the risks associated with
bonds and equities, a possibility that appears especially relevant given recent market
volatility. This simulation builds on the previous one by assuming that investors respond
to the deterioration in macroeconomic performance by boosting risk premiums relative to
the Greenbook baseline. This reassessment of risk causes the spread on Baa corporate
bonds over comparable Treasury securities to widen 1 percentage point by the end of the
summer, an increase over and above the 25 basis points we have built into the baseline
since the June Greenbook. In addition, equity prices decline more than 10 percent
relative to baseline over the same period. Higher borrowing costs and the reduction in
wealth lead to further weakness in aggregate spending. As a result, real GDP growth
slows to ½ percent in 2008, and the unemployment rate rises to 5½ percent by late next
year. The decline in the federal funds rate, to 3½ percent by late 2008, pulls the yield on
the ten-year Treasury about 50 basis points below baseline, tempering the increase in
yields on private securities. Nonetheless, the unemployment rate would rise a bit more
through 2009.
Flat saving rate. The NIPA revision left our estimate of the personal saving rate in the
second quarter at just above ½ percent, more than 2 percentage points above the June
Greenbook estimate. In the baseline, we continue to assume that households will boost
saving over the projection period, albeit by less than previously. In this scenario, we
instead assume that households maintain the personal saving rate at its second-quarter
level through 2008. The additional spending boosts real GDP growth above 2½ percent
in 2008, and the unemployment rate edges below 4½ percent by late next year. The
increase in the federal funds rate, to 6¼ percent by late next year, helps to slow real GDP
growth to its trend rate of just above 2 percent in 2009.
Lower NAIRU. Hourly compensation gains have remained moderate despite high
headline inflation and a labor market that, by the staff’s estimate, is fairly tight—raising
the possibility that we are overstating the degree of tightness in the labor market. In this
scenario, we assume that the NAIRU gradually declined to 4¼ percent over the past few
years rather than having held steady at 5 percent as in the baseline. The slack in resource
utilization allows core PCE inflation to fall to 1¾ percent by the end of next year. Real

Domestic Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-19

GDP growth picks up to 2½ percent in 2008 as households and firms shift their spending
into better alignment with the higher levels of permanent income and potential output
implied by a lower NAIRU. The federal funds rate changes little from baseline because
policymakers only slowly recognize the lower NAIRU.
Flat markup. The downward revision to our estimate of structural productivity growth
has led to a more pronounced acceleration in trend unit labor costs and a somewhat more
pronounced decline in firms’ markups than previously. However, the markup has been
elevated for some time, perhaps reflecting structural factors: For example, structural
change in labor markets, perhaps related to the integration of labor-rich countries into the
global economy, may result in a persistently lower share of income accruing to labor and,
accordingly, a persistently higher markup. In this simulation, we assume that markups
remain near recent levels as the structural factors just cited exert downward pressure on
wages and upward pressure on prices. Consequently, core inflation exceeds 2½ percent
over the next four quarters and remains persistently above baseline throughout 2008.
Higher inflation leads to tighter monetary policy; as a result, real activity is weaker next
year.
Market-based federal funds rate. Quotes from futures markets imply a path for the
federal funds rate that is about 20 basis points below the staff’s assumed path at the end
of 2007 and nearly 75 basis points below that path at the end of 2008. If the lower path
were realized, the increased stimulus would boost real GDP growth to about 2¼ percent
in 2008 and cause inflation to be a shade higher than in the baseline.

I-20

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

Selected Greenbook Projections and
70 Percent Confidence Intervals Derived from
Historical Forecast Errors and FRB/US Simulations
Measure
Real GDP
(percent change, Q4 to Q4)
Projection
Confidence interval
Greenbook forecast errors
FRB/US stochastic simulations
Civilian unemployment rate
(percent, Q4)
Projection
Confidence interval
Greenbook forecast errors
FRB/US stochastic simulations
PCE prices
excluding food and energy
(percent change, Q4 to Q4)
Projection
Confidence interval
Greenbook forecast errors
FRB/US stochastic simulations
Federal funds rate
(percent, Q4)
Projection
Confidence interval
FRB/US stochastic simulations

2007

2008

1.9

2.0

1.2–2.7
1.2–2.6

.4–3.5
.8–3.3

4.7

4.8

4.5–4.9
4.5–4.9

4.1–5.5
4.4–5.2

2.0

2.0

1.7–2.3
1.8–2.2

1.3–2.7
1.5–2.6

5.3

5.3

4.8–5.7

4.0–6.6

Note. Shocks underlying FRB/US stochastic simulations are
randomly drawn from the 1986-2005 set of model equation residuals.
Intervals derived fromGreenbook forecast errors are based on the
1986-2005 set of Greenbook historical errors.

I-21

I-22

Class II FOMC - Restricted (FR)

Evolution of the Staff Forecast
Change in Real GDP
Percent, Q4/Q4
4.0

4.0

3.5

3.5

2006

3.0

3.0
2007

2.5

2008

2.5

2.0

2.0

1.5

1.5
1/26

3/16

4/28

6/22

8/4

9/14

10/26 12/7

1/25

3/22

5/3

2005

6/21

8/3

9/13 10/18 12/6

1/24

3/14

5/2

2006

6/20

8/2

9/12

10/24 12/5

2007

Greenbook publication date

Unemployment Rate
5.6

Percent, fourth quarter
5.6

5.4

5.4

5.2

2006

5.2

2007
2008

5.0

5.0

4.8

4.8

4.6

4.6

4.4

4.4
1/26

3/16

4/28

6/22

8/4

9/14

10/26 12/7

1/25

3/22

5/3

2005

6/21

8/3

9/13 10/18 12/6

1/24

3/14

5/2

2006

6/20

8/2

9/12

10/24 12/5

2007

Greenbook publication date

Change in PCE Prices excluding Food and Energy
3.0

Percent, Q4/Q4
3.0

2.5

2.5

2006

2.0

2.0

2008
2007

1.5

1.5

1.0

1.0
1/26

3/16

4/28

6/22

8/4

2005

9/14

10/26 12/7

1/25

3/22

5/3

6/21

8/3

9/13 10/18 12/6

2006

Greenbook publication date

1/24

3/14

5/2

6/20

8/2

2007

9/12

10/24 12/5

7.5
4.0
5.6
4.0
4.8
4.7

6.4
5.7
4.8
4.8
6.3
6.3
4.8
4.6

Two-quarter2
2006:Q2
Q4
2007:Q2
Q4
2008:Q2
Q4

Four-quarter3
2005:Q4
2006:Q4
2007:Q4
2008:Q4

Annual
2005
2006
2007
2008
6.4
6.1
4.6
4.2

6.3
5.4
4.6
4.2

7.2
3.6
5.5
3.7
4.2
4.3

8.4
6.0
3.4
3.8
4.9
6.2
3.6
3.7
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.3

08/02/07

3.2
3.3
2.1
2.5

3.1
3.1
2.2
2.5

4.1
2.2
2.0
2.3
2.5
2.5

5.6
2.6
2.0
2.5
1.0
3.0
2.5
2.2
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5

06/20/07

3.1
2.9
1.8
2.0

2.9
2.6
1.9
2.0

3.6
1.6
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.1

4.8
2.4
1.1
2.1
.6
3.4
2.2
1.6
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.1

08/02/07

Real GDP

2.9
2.7
2.4
2.1

3.1
1.9
2.9
2.0

3.0
.7
3.9
1.9
2.0
2.0

2.0
4.0
2.4
-1.0
3.5
4.4
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.0

06/20/07

2.9
2.8
2.5
2.0

3.2
1.9
3.0
1.8

3.0
.8
3.9
2.1
1.8
1.9

1.7
4.3
2.6
-.9
3.5
4.3
2.2
2.0
1.7
1.9
1.9
1.9

08/02/07

PCE price index

August 2, 2007

2.1
2.2
2.0
2.0

2.1
2.2
2.0
2.0

2.4
2.0
1.9
2.2
2.1
2.0

2.1
2.7
2.2
1.8
2.4
1.4
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0

06/20/07

2.2
2.2
2.1
2.0

2.2
2.3
2.0
2.0

2.5
2.1
1.9
2.1
2.1
2.0

2.0
2.9
2.3
1.9
2.4
1.4
2.0
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0

08/02/07

5.1
4.6
4.6
4.8

-.4
-.5
.2
.2

-.3
-.2
.0
.2
.1
.0

4.7
4.7
4.7
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.8
4.8
4.8

06/20/07

5.1
4.6
4.6
4.8

-.4
-.5
.2
.1

-.3
-.2
.0
.2
.1
.0

4.7
4.7
4.7
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.7
4.8
4.8
4.8

08/02/07

Core PCE price index Unemployment rate1

Changes in GDP, Prices, and Unemployment
(Percent, annual rate except as noted)

1. Level, except for two-quarter and four-quarter intervals.
2. Percent change from two quarters earlier; for unemployment rate, change is in percentage points.
3. Percent change from four quarters earlier; for unemployment rate, change is in percentage points.

9.0
5.9
3.8
4.1
5.1
6.0
3.8
4.1
4.8
4.9
4.7
4.6

06/20/07

Nominal GDP

Quarterly
2006:Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2007:Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
2008:Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Interval

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-23

Q1

38
41
38
1

Change in bus. inventories2
Previous2
Nonfarm2
Farm2
51
54
58
-5

1.0
.8
-1.6
2.3
-8.8
2.5

-627
-624
5.7
.9

4.2
4.4
-.1
-1.4
16.4
20.3

-11.7
-11.1

2.4
2.6
.8
2.3
2.7

2.0
2.1
1.6
1.8

2.4
2.6

Q2

2006

54
55
58
-3

.8
1.7
.9
-1.5
6.0
.7

-634
-629
5.7
5.4

5.1
10.0
2.9
7.7
10.8
15.7

-20.4
-18.7

2.8
2.8
5.6
3.2
2.0

1.0
1.9
1.3
2.1

1.1
2.0

Q3

17
22
14
4

3.5
3.4
7.3
16.9
-10.0
1.3

-597
-583
14.3
1.6

-1.4
-3.1
-4.9
-4.8
7.4
.8

-17.2
-19.8

3.9
4.2
3.9
4.3
3.7

3.5
3.7
1.8
1.6

2.1
2.5

Q4

0
-2
-6
5

-.5
1.0
-6.3
-10.8
3.8
3.0

-612
-604
1.1
3.9

2.1
3.3
.3
2.8
6.4
4.7

-16.3
-15.8

3.7
4.3
8.8
3.0
3.1

1.3
1.9
2.2
2.8

.6
1.0

Q1

5
6
-1
4

4.5
4.7
6.7
9.5
1.3
3.3

-581
-574
5.6
-2.4

9.6
2.8
2.7
-.2
26.6
10.0

-10.4
-12.2

1.3
1.6
1.6
-.8
2.2

3.3
2.7
1.5
.9

3.4
3.0

Q2

2007

15
16
14
1

3.2
3.4
5.2
7.5
.6
2.1

-565
-564
6.3
1.0

2.4
4.4
2.8
5.3
1.4
2.6

-19.6
-18.3

2.0
2.3
.4
2.7
1.9

1.8
2.2
.7
1.3

2.2
2.5

Q3

25
32
24
1

2.7
2.9
4.3
5.9
.8
1.9

-566
-570
6.1
4.5

4.4
3.6
5.0
4.0
3.2
2.8

-21.3
-15.0

1.9
2.3
3.1
1.9
1.7

1.2
1.6
.9
1.5

1.6
2.2

Q4

41
47
41
1

1.8
2.2
1.8
2.7
.0
1.8

-569
-579
5.9
4.8

3.3
5.2
4.1
5.8
1.6
3.8

-15.9
-9.5

2.0
2.5
3.3
2.1
1.8

1.3
2.0
1.2
2.2

1.8
2.5

Q1

17
23
16
1

1.7
2.1
1.6
2.4
.0
1.8

-544
-557
5.8
-.9

3.1
4.8
3.7
5.7
1.8
2.9

-4.5
-1.3

2.0
2.5
2.4
2.0
1.9

2.7
3.4
1.8
2.6

1.9
2.5

Q2

2008

Changes in Real Gross Domestic Product and Related Items
(Percent, annual rate except as noted)

1. Change from fourth quarter of previous year to fourth quarter of year indicated.
2. Billions of chained (2000) dollars.

4.9
4.9
8.4
6.8
11.9
2.9

Govt. cons. & invest.
Previous
Federal
Defense
Nondefense
State & local

Residential investment
Previous

-640
-637
11.5
6.9

-.7
-.3

Personal cons. expend.
Previous
Durables
Nondurables
Services

Net exports2
Previous2
Exports
Imports

4.4
4.8
16.6
4.5
2.1

Final sales
Previous
Priv. dom. final purch.
Previous

13.3
13.7
13.0
15.6
15.0
8.7

5.4
5.6
5.1
5.5

Real GDP
Previous

Business fixed invest.
Previous
Equipment & software
Previous
Nonres. structures
Previous

4.8
5.6

Item

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

8
15
7
1

1.4
1.7
1.6
2.4
.0
1.2

-538
-555
5.7
2.9

3.1
4.5
3.8
5.8
1.5
1.7

2.1
2.0

2.0
2.6
2.3
2.0
2.0

2.3
2.8
2.2
2.8

2.0
2.5

Q3

13
21
12
1

1.3
1.7
1.5
2.1
.1
1.2

-544
-564
5.6
5.4

3.0
3.9
3.9
5.6
1.1
.4

3.4
4.1

2.0
2.5
2.4
2.0
2.0

1.9
2.3
2.2
2.8

2.1
2.5

Q4

40
43
42
-1

2.5
2.7
3.7
5.9
-.7
1.8

-624
-618
9.3
3.7

5.2
6.1
2.5
4.0
12.3
11.2

-12.8
-12.8

3.4
3.6
6.6
3.6
2.6

3.0
3.3
2.4
2.7

2.6
3.1

20061

11
13
8
3

2.5
3.0
2.3
2.7
1.6
2.6

-581
-578
4.8
1.7

4.6
3.6
2.7
2.9
9.0
5.0

-17.0
-15.4

2.2
2.6
3.5
1.7
2.2

1.9
2.1
1.3
1.6

1.9
2.2

20071

20
27
19
1

1.5
1.9
1.6
2.4
.0
1.5

-549
-564
5.8
3.0

3.1
4.6
3.8
5.7
1.5
2.2

-4.0
-1.3

2.0
2.5
2.6
2.0
1.9

2.1
2.6
1.9
2.6

2.0
2.5

20081

August 2, 2007

I-24

.2
.2

-32
-32
-32
0

5.0
5.0
6.4
6.5
6.3
4.2

-399
-399
-11.9
-7.6

-9.6
-9.6
-9.0
-9.0
-11.1
-11.1

1.4
1.4

2.8
2.8
10.8
1.9
1.6

1.5
1.5
1.0
1.0

20011

12
12
15
-2

4.0
4.0
7.8
8.4
6.8
2.1

-471
-471
3.8
9.7

-6.5
-6.5
-3.4
-3.4
-14.9
-14.9

7.0
7.0

1.9
1.9
1.2
2.1
1.9

.8
.8
1.1
1.1

1.9
1.9

20021

14
14
14
0

1.7
1.7
5.5
7.5
1.9
-.4

-519
-519
5.8
4.8

4.9
4.9
6.6
6.6
.2
.2

11.7
11.7

3.4
3.4
8.3
3.9
2.2

3.7
3.7
4.1
4.1

3.7
3.7

20031

54
53
48
6

.7
1.1
2.4
2.5
2.3
-.4

-594
-591
7.4
11.5

7.5
6.9
9.4
8.3
2.3
2.7

6.7
6.1

3.7
4.0
5.6
3.5
3.3

2.8
3.1
4.3
4.4

3.1
3.4

20041

1. Change from fourth quarter of previous year to fourth quarter of year indicated.
2. Billions of chained (2000) dollars.

56
56
58
-1

Change in bus. inventories2
Previous2
Nonfarm2
Farm2

7.8
7.8
7.5
7.5
8.8
8.8

Business fixed invest.
Previous
Equipment & software
Previous
Nonres. structures
Previous

.4
.4
-2.2
-3.5
.3
1.7

-1.9
-1.9

Residential investment
Previous

Govt. cons. & invest.
Previous
Federal
Defense
Nondefense
State & local

4.1
4.1
4.7
3.0
4.5

Personal cons. expend.
Previous
Durables
Nondurables
Services

-379
-379
6.5
11.2

2.9
2.9
4.3
4.3

Final sales
Previous
Priv. dom. final purch.
Previous

Net exports2
Previous2
Exports
Imports

2.2
2.2

20001

33
20
34
-0

.9
1.2
1.3
1.1
1.9
.7

-618
-619
7.0
5.1

5.1
5.6
7.1
7.0
-.3
1.8

6.4
9.0

2.8
2.9
1.2
3.6
2.7

2.9
3.2
3.3
3.6

2.9
3.1

20051

Changes in Real Gross Domestic Product and Related Items
(Percent, annual rate except as noted)

Real GDP
Previous

Item

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

40
43
42
-1

2.5
2.7
3.7
5.9
-.7
1.8

-624
-618
9.3
3.7

5.2
6.1
2.5
4.0
12.3
11.2

-12.8
-12.8

3.4
3.6
6.6
3.6
2.6

3.0
3.3
2.4
2.7

2.6
3.1

20061

11
13
8
3

2.5
3.0
2.3
2.7
1.6
2.6

-581
-578
4.8
1.7

4.6
3.6
2.7
2.9
9.0
5.0

-17.0
-15.4

2.2
2.6
3.5
1.7
2.2

1.9
2.1
1.3
1.6

1.9
2.2

20071

20
27
19
1

1.5
1.9
1.6
2.4
.0
1.5

-549
-564
5.8
3.0

3.1
4.6
3.8
5.7
1.5
2.2

-4.0
-1.3

2.0
2.5
2.6
2.0
1.9

2.1
2.6
1.9
2.6

2.0
2.5

20081

August 2, 2007

I-25

Q1

1.3
1.4
.9
1.1
.4
.3
.1
.0
1.2
-1.1

Residential investment
Previous

Business fixed invest.
Previous
Equipment & software
Previous
Nonres. structures
Previous

Net exports
Previous
Exports
Imports

.5
.4
.7
-.2

.2
.2
-.1
.1
-.2
.3

.5
.4
.6
-.1

.4
.5
.0
-.1
.5
.6

-.8
-.7

1.6
1.8
.1
.5
1.1

2.0
2.1
1.4
1.5

2.4
2.6

Q2

.1
.1
.0
.1

.1
.3
.1
-.1
.1
.1

-.3
-.2
.6
-.9

.5
1.0
.2
.6
.3
.5

-1.3
-1.2

1.9
2.0
.4
.6
.8

1.0
1.9
1.1
1.8

1.1
2.0

Q3

2006

-1.3
-1.2
-1.6
.3

.7
.6
.5
.7
-.2
.2

1.3
1.6
1.5
-.3

-.2
-.3
-.4
-.4
.2
.0

-1.0
-1.2

2.7
2.9
.3
.9
1.5

3.4
3.6
1.5
1.4

2.1
2.5

Q4

-.7
-.9
-.7
.0

-.1
.2
-.5
-.5
.1
.4

-.5
-.7
.1
-.6

.2
.3
.0
.2
.2
.1

-.9
-.9

2.6
3.0
.7
.6
1.3

1.3
1.9
1.9
2.4

.6
1.0

Q1

.2
.3
.2
.0

.9
.9
.5
.4
.0
.4

1.0
1.0
.6
.4

1.0
.3
.2
.0
.8
.3

-.5
-.6

.9
1.2
.1
-.2
.9

3.3
2.7
1.3
.8

3.4
3.0

Q2

.4
.3
.5
-.1

.6
.7
.4
.3
.0
.3

.5
.3
.7
-.2

.3
.5
.2
.4
.0
.1

-1.0
-1.0

1.4
1.6
.0
.6
.8

1.8
2.2
.6
1.2

2.2
2.5

Q3

2007

.4
.6
.4
.0

.5
.6
.3
.3
.0
.2

-.1
-.2
.7
-.8

.5
.4
.4
.3
.1
.1

-1.1
-.7

1.4
1.6
.2
.4
.7

1.2
1.6
.7
1.3

1.6
2.2

Q4

.6
.5
.6
.0

.4
.4
.1
.1
.0
.2

-.1
-.3
.7
-.8

.3
.5
.3
.4
.1
.1

-.7
-.4

1.4
1.8
.2
.4
.8

1.3
2.0
1.0
1.9

1.8
2.5

Q1

-.8
-.8
-.8
.0

.3
.4
.1
.1
.0
.2

.8
.7
.7
.2

.3
.5
.3
.4
.1
.1

-.2
-.1

1.4
1.8
.2
.4
.8

2.7
3.4
1.5
2.2

1.9
2.5

Q2

Contributions to Changes in Real Gross Domestic Product
(Percentage points, annual rate except as noted)

1. Change from fourth quarter of previous year to fourth quarter of year indicated.

-.5
.0
-.5
.0

-.1
.0

Personal cons. expend.
Previous
Durables
Nondurables
Services

Change in bus. inventories
Previous
Nonfarm
Farm

3.0
3.4
1.2
.9
.9

Final sales
Previous
Priv. dom. final purch.
Previous

.9
.9
.6
.3
.3
.4

5.3
5.6
4.4
4.7

Real GDP
Previous

Govt. cons. & invest.
Previous
Federal
Defense
Nondefense
State & local

4.8
5.6

Item

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

-.3
-.3
-.3
.0

.3
.3
.1
.1
.0
.2

.2
.1
.7
-.5

.3
.5
.3
.4
.1
.1

.1
.1

1.4
1.8
.2
.4
.8

2.3
2.8
1.8
2.4

2.0
2.5

Q3

2008

.2
.2
.2
.0

.3
.3
.1
.1
.0
.2

-.2
-.4
.7
-.9

.3
.4
.3
.4
.0
.0

.1
.2

1.4
1.8
.2
.4
.9

1.9
2.3
1.9
2.4

2.1
2.5

Q4

-.3
-.2
-.3
.0

.5
.5
.3
.3
.0
.2

.4
.5
1.0
-.6

.5
.6
.2
.3
.4
.3

-.8
-.8

2.3
2.5
.5
.7
1.1

2.9
3.3
2.1
2.3

2.6
3.1

20061

.1
.1
.1
.0

.5
.6
.2
.1
.0
.3

.3
.1
.5
-.3

.5
.4
.2
.2
.3
.2

-.9
-.8

1.6
1.9
.3
.3
.9

1.9
2.1
1.1
1.4

1.9
2.2

20071

-.1
-.1
-.1
.0

.3
.4
.1
.1
.0
.2

.2
.0
.7
-.5

.3
.5
.3
.4
.1
.1

-.2
-.1

1.4
1.8
.2
.4
.8

2.1
2.6
1.6
2.2

2.0
2.5

20081

August 2, 2007

I-26

3.2
3.2
.9
1.2
-.1
-1.4
-1.0
-2.5

2.8
2.8
2.5
3.5
7.1
12.9
4.4
9.1

ECI, hourly compensation2
Previous2
Nonfarm business sector3
Output per hour
Previous
Compensation per hour
Previous
Unit labor costs
Previous
-1.6
-.5
1.4
.6
3.0
1.1

3.6
3.6

2.4
1.9
2.6
2.4
5.1
3.7
3.0
2.9
2.3
2.2
3.0
3.0
3.2
3.2

Q3

1.8
2.1
12.4
11.2
10.4
8.9

3.2
3.2

1.7
1.7
-.9
-1.0
-36.6
-36.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
-2.0
-2.0
1.8
1.8

Q4

.7
1.4
3.6
2.7
2.9
1.3

2.3
2.3

4.2
4.1
3.5
3.5
16.1
16.1
4.8
4.8
2.4
2.4
3.8
3.8
2.3
2.3

Q1

2.0
2.0
4.0
3.9
2.0
1.8

3.5
3.8

2.7
2.9
4.3
4.4
51.5
52.9
4.7
4.5
1.4
1.4
6.0
6.0
1.9
1.9

Q2

2.3
2.8
4.3
4.7
1.9
1.9

3.8
3.8

1.4
1.3
2.2
1.8
.1
-3.9
3.8
2.7
2.0
2.2
2.4
1.9
2.4
2.4

Q3

2007

1.6
2.2
4.6
4.9
3.0
2.6

3.8
3.8

2.1
1.9
2.0
1.9
-1.9
-2.8
2.8
2.4
2.2
2.2
2.0
1.9
2.4
2.4

Q4

Changes in Prices and Costs
(Percent, annual rate except as noted)

1. Change from fourth quarter of previous year to fourth quarter of year indicated.
2. Private-industry workers.
3. Data in history reflect the staff’s translation of newly revised NIPA data.

3.5
3.3
4.3
4.0
31.8
29.7
1.7
1.7
2.9
2.7
5.1
5.1
3.2
3.2

3.4
3.3
1.7
2.0
-3.4
.1
2.5
2.7
2.0
2.1
1.8
1.8
2.4
2.4

GDP chain-wt. price index
Previous
PCE chain-wt. price index
Previous
Energy
Previous
Food
Previous
Ex. food & energy
Previous
CPI
Previous
Ex. food & energy
Previous

Q2

Q1

2006

Item

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

1.9
2.6
4.7
4.9
2.8
2.2

3.9
4.0

2.2
2.2
1.7
2.0
-4.2
1.0
2.4
2.3
2.1
2.1
1.7
2.2
2.3
2.3

Q1

1.9
2.5
4.7
4.8
2.7
2.3

3.9
4.0

2.3
2.3
1.9
2.1
-1.7
1.5
2.3
2.3
2.1
2.1
1.9
2.2
2.3
2.3

Q2

2008

2.0
2.4
4.7
4.9
2.7
2.4

3.9
4.0

2.3
2.2
1.9
2.0
-.3
1.3
2.2
2.2
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.2

Q3

2.1
2.4
4.7
4.8
2.5
2.3

3.9
4.0

2.2
2.1
1.9
2.0
-.2
.9
2.2
2.2
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.2

Q4

.9
1.6
5.1
5.6
4.1
4.0

3.2
3.2

2.7
2.5
1.9
1.9
-4.0
-3.7
2.3
2.3
2.3
2.2
1.9
1.9
2.7
2.7

20061

1.7
2.1
4.2
4.0
2.4
1.9

3.4
3.4

2.6
2.5
3.0
2.9
14.6
13.5
4.0
3.6
2.0
2.0
3.5
3.4
2.2
2.2

20071

2.0
2.5
4.7
4.9
2.7
2.3

3.9
4.0

2.2
2.2
1.8
2.0
-1.6
1.2
2.2
2.2
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.2
2.2
2.2

20081

August 2, 2007

I-27

Q1

14.4 14.1 13.6
2.8 2.3 1.6

.4
4.5
4.5
.6
.4

Q2
.4
4.6
4.6
.6
.4

Q3
.2
4.7
4.7
.4
.3

Q4

6.2
-.8
-1.1
.6
-1.6

3.6
2.9
3.3
.8
-1.4

3.7
1.9
3.3
.8
-1.1

13.6 13.5 13.3 13.2
1.9 1.5 1.2 1.1

-210 -210 -241 -250
-6
7 -18 -22

4.4 8.3
.0
-.9
11.4 11.4 11.3 11.2

4.9
5.9
4.6
1.1
-.8

1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3
16.4 16.0 15.8 16.1

1.1 2.9 2.9 2.2
.8 2.8 3.2 2.4
.8 3.4 4.4 1.3
.7 3.3 3.6 2.1
79.8 80.1 80.5 80.4
79.8 80.1 80.4 80.4

.5
4.5
4.5
.3
.3

Q1
.2
4.8
4.8
.3
.3

Q2
.3
4.8
4.8
.2
.3

Q3
.2
4.8
4.8
.2
.3

Q4

4.2
2.2
2.8
1.2
-.6

4.3
2.6
3.5
1.4
-.3

4.3
2.6
3.3
1.5
-.1

13.0 13.1 13.1 13.0
.9
.9
.9
.9

-301 -302 -305 -319
-31 -25 -37 -40

-2.8
.2 1.9 1.1
11.0 10.9 10.9 10.8

4.1
3.7
4.6
1.2
-.6

1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4
16.3 16.3 16.3 16.3

2.3 2.0 2.5 3.9
2.8 2.4 2.9 4.1
1.7 2.1 2.7 3.7
2.5 2.7 3.1 3.9
80.2 80.1 80.1 80.3
80.3 80.3 80.4 80.6

.2
4.7
4.7
.3
.3

Q1

2008

14.2
1.8

-220
25

8.4
11.4

5.4
3.2
3.2
.4
-.9

1.8
16.5

3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
80.1
80.1

2.3
4.5
4.5
.7
.7

20061

13.2
1.1

-228
-10

2.9
11.2

4.6
2.5
2.5
.8
-1.1

1.4
16.1

2.3
2.3
2.4
2.4
80.4
80.4

1.5
4.7
4.7
.4
.3

20071

13.0
.9

-307
-33

.1
10.8

4.2
2.8
3.5
1.5
-.1

1.3
16.3

2.7
3.1
2.5
3.1
80.3
80.6

.9
4.8
4.8
.2
.3

20081

August 2, 2007

1. Change from fourth quarter of previous year to fourth quarter of year indicated, unless otherwise indicated.
2. Change, millions.
3. Percent, annual values are for the fourth quarter of the year indicated.
4. Percent difference between actual and potential GDP; a negative number indicates that the economy is operating below potential. (In previous
Greenbooks, we expressed the GDP gap with the opposite sign, so that a positive number indicated that actual output fell short of potential.)
Annual values are for the fourth quarter of the year indicated.
5. Percent change, annual rate.
6. Level, millions, annual values are annual averages.
7. Percent change, annual rate, with inventory valuation and capital consumption adjustments.
8. Billions of dollars, annual values are annual averages.

14.2
1.8

-181
8

Gross national saving rate3
Net national saving rate3

3.8
6.2
6.4
.4
-.9

-220 -240 -239
36
43
12

3.4
1.7
3.2
.0
-1.4

Net federal saving8
Net state & local saving8

6.0
.2
-1.5
.3
-1.4

32.5 16.8 4.4 -14.5
11.6 11.9 12.0 11.4

8.4
4.9
4.6
.9
-.3

1.6
16.3

-1.5
-1.5
-1.7
-1.7
80.1
80.1

.5
4.5
4.5
.7
.7

Q4

2007

Other Macroeconomic Indicators

Corporate profits7
Profit share of GNP3

Income and saving
Nominal GDP5
Real disposable pers. income5
Previous5
Personal saving rate3
Previous3

2.1 1.9 1.7
16.8 16.4 16.5

.5
4.7
4.7
.7
.7

Housing starts6
Light motor vehicle sales6

.5
4.7
4.7
1.0
.9

Q3

5.0 6.5 4.0
5.0 6.5 4.0
5.5 5.5 4.4
5.5 5.5 4.4
80.1 80.6 80.9
80.1 80.6 80.9

Employment and production
Nonfarm payroll employment2
Unemployment rate3
Previous3
GDP gap4
Previous4

Q2

2006

Industrial production5
Previous5
Manufacturing industr. prod.5
Previous5
Capacity utilization rate - mfg.3
Previous3

.7
4.7
4.7
.9
.9

Item

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-28

-292
-0.5
0.3
0.3

-337

-262

-339

-0.3
0.2
0.2

0.2
0.2

-0.4

-251

-222

2635
2846
843
570
273
2003
-211
120

45

176
7
-18

2567
2732
-165
-170
-355
190

0.2
0.2

0.4

-319

-303

2729
3019
898
612
286
2121
-290
127

35

221
10
-6

2670
2895
-225
-229
-431
205

0.2
0.2

-0.4

-268

-233

2437
2656
805
536
269
1851
-220
117

8

156
28
-1

507
691
-184
-184
-216
32

Q1a

0.0
-0.0

0.2

-296

-255

2472
2711
807
540
267
1905
-240
120

46

-75
-38
16

772
676
96
96
11
85

52

43
-6
5

597
639
-42
-42
-60
19

Q3a

0.0
0.0

-0.1

-284

-252

2513
2752
813
542
271
1939
-239
119

2006
Q2a

0.1
0.1

-0.4

-232

-197

2562
2743
826
562
265
1917
-181
123

31

59
21
0

574
654
-80
-80
-135
55

Q4a

2007
Q3

25

-110
-19
-8

824
687
137
130
53
85

45

75
-20
-11

622
665
-44
-42
-59
16

Q4

29

98
16
-2

611
723
-112
-103
-182
70

Not seasonally adjusted

Q2

-0.0
0.0

0.0

-242

-218

0.1
0.1

0.0

-249

-219

0.1
0.1

0.2

-283

-254

0.1
0.1

-0.0

-286

-264

Seasonally adjusted annual rates
2628
2668
2682
2698
2838
2878
2924
2948
830
851
865
878
556
574
587
597
274
276
278
280
2008
2027
2059
2070
-210
-210
-241
-250
117
119
122
125

6

152
25
1

547
725
-178
-178
-212
34

Q1a

0.0
0.0

0.3

-332

-315

2716
3017
897
611
286
2120
-301
126

9

152
20
5

556
733
-177
-208
-203
26

Q1

0.0
0.0

-0.0

-329

-315

2738
3041
904
617
288
2136
-302
127

35

-97
-26
-5

849
723
127
135
33
94

Q2

35

67
0
-5

654
716
-63
-52
-78
16

Q3

0.0
0.0

-0.0

-328

-318

2764
3069
912
623
289
2157
-305
128

2008

0.0
0.0

0.1

-340

-331

2791
3110
920
629
291
2190
-319
129

25

111
10
-5

642
758
-116
-103
-191
75

Q4

August 2, 2007

1. Budget receipts, outlays, and surplus/deficit include corresponding social security (OASDI) categories. The OASDI surplus and the Postal Service surplus are excluded from the on-budget
surplus and shown separately as off-budget, as classified under current law.
2. Other means of financing are checks issued less checks paid, accrued items, and changes in other financial assets and liabilities.
3. Gross saving is the current account surplus plus consumption of fixed capital of the general government as well as government enterprises.
4. HEB is gross saving less gross investment (NIPA) of the federal government in current dollars, with cyclically sensitive receipts and outlays adjusted to the staff’s measure of potential output and the
NAIRU. Quarterly figures for change in HEB and FI are not at annual rates. The sign on Change in HEB, as a percent of nominal potential GDP, is reversed. FI is the weighted difference of discretionary
changes in federal spending and taxes in chained (2000) dollars, scaled by real GDP. The annual FI estimates are on a calendar year basis. Also, for FI and the change in HEB, positive values indicate
aggregate demand stimulus.
a--Actual

Fiscal indicators4
High-employment (HEB)
surplus/deficit
Change in HEB, percent
of potential GDP
Fiscal impetus (FI),
percent of GDP
Previous

2437
2685
798
533
266
1887
-248
117

52

237
-16
28

2407
2655
-248
-248
-435
186

2008

Staff Projections of Federal Sector Accounts and Related Items
(Billions of dollars except as noted)

2007

Fiscal year
2006a

2182
2511
759
509
250
1752
-329
108

36

Cash operating balance,
end of period

NIPA federal sector
Receipts
Expenditures
Consumption expenditures
Defense
Nondefense
Other spending
Current account surplus
Gross investment
Gross saving less gross
investment3

297
1
21

2154
2472
-318
-318
-494
175

2005a

Means of financing
Borrowing
Cash decrease
Other2

Unified budget
Receipts1
Outlays1
Surplus/deficit1
Previous
On-budget
Off-budget

Item

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-29

11.5
8.7
5.3
4.4

9.4
8.1
6.5
5.3

8.9
7.5
6.9
8.2
7.2
6.3
6.2
5.7
5.2
4.9
5.3
5.5

2005
2006
2007
2008

Quarter
2006:1
2
3
4
2007:1
2
3
4
2008:1
2
3
4

10.6
9.5
8.6
7.3
6.2
5.4
4.8
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.5

13.4
9.3
5.3
4.6

10.1
12.9
14.4
14.2

Home
mortgages

Households

2.2
6.0
5.4
4.1
4.5
4.1
3.5
3.3
3.0
2.8
2.7
2.6

4.2
4.5
3.9
2.8

8.6
5.9
5.2
5.5

Consumer
credit

10.0
8.8
7.0
11.4
9.0
10.7
7.5
6.7
6.3
6.5
6.2
6.1

7.6
9.6
8.8
6.4

5.9
2.5
2.6
5.8

Business

3.3
6.7
8.2
13.6
8.6
11.5
8.1
7.9
7.4
7.2
7.1
7.0

10.2
8.2
9.3
7.4

8.8
11.0
8.3
7.4

State and local
governments

Change in Debt of the Domestic Nonfinancial Sectors
(Percent)

8.0
1.0
3.6
2.8
6.7
-1.4
6.3
5.8
4.0
2.0
5.3
6.7

7.0
3.9
4.4
4.6

-.2
7.6
10.9
9.0

Federal
government

2.6.3 FOF

8.4
6.0
3.4
3.8
4.9
6.2
3.6
3.7
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.3

6.3
5.4
4.6
4.2

2.7
3.6
5.9
6.5

Memo:
Nominal
GDP

August 2, 2007

Note. Quarterly data are at seasonally adjusted annual rates.
1. Data after 2007:Q1 are staff projections. Changes are measured from end of the preceding period to end of period indicated except for annual nominal
GDP growth, which is calculated from Q4 to Q4.

9.3
9.2
7.9
7.2
6.0
5.4
4.8
4.6
4.4
4.4
4.3
4.3

9.3
10.6
11.6
11.6

Total

6.3
7.2
8.2
9.0

Total

Year
2001
2002
2003
2004

Period 1

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-30

1215.2
1051.8
94.4
123.1
-127.4
-363.4
581.7
171.4
222.5
306.9
306.9
321.8

Households
Net borrowing 2
Home mortgages
Consumer credit
Debt/DPI (percent) 3

Business
Financing gap 4
Net equity issuance
Credit market borrowing

State and local governments
Net borrowing
Current surplus 5

Federal government
Net borrowing
Net borrowing (n.s.a.)
Unified deficit (n.s.a.)
748.7

183.4
183.4
209.2

152.3
243.5

167.4
-606.1
791.3

1021.6
828.4
104.8
127.8

209.6
16.3

1542.5
-606.1
2148.6

2006

443.4

215.3
215.3
196.8

187.1
178.2

182.7
-626.7
789.8

678.3
517.3
94.5
129.2

215.0
13.6

1243.8
-626.7
1870.5

2007

299.2

233.4
233.4
229.3

161.7
166.3

229.4
-337.0
631.9

594.6
466.9
70.8
129.5

218.6
11.3

1284.6
-337.0
1621.6

2008

386.9

171.4
43.4
41.7

156.6
234.1

155.5
-534.0
606.5

973.9
806.5
127.3
128.9

210.4
14.4

1374.5
-534.0
1908.5

Q3

Q4

600.9

136.5
58.7
80.4

264.5
232.1

310.8
-719.2
995.9

906.8
695.2
99.6
129.6

212.4
17.2

1584.5
-719.2
2303.7

2006

473.6

326.7
152.2
178.0

172.3
177.7

184.7
-584.8
815.9

766.8
598.0
109.3
128.8

213.9
15.4

1496.9
-584.8
2081.7

Q1

648.8

-71.5
-110.3
-137.5

235.7
193.7

160.2
-730.0
988.3

698.7
528.2
100.0
129.5

214.3
13.5

1121.3
-730.0
1851.3

2.6.4 FOF

Q2

Q3

548.8

313.4
75.3
43.9

170.7
171.0

179.2
-580.0
709.9

636.5
481.0
86.5
129.5

215.7
13.2

1250.5
-580.0
1830.5

2007

Flow of Funds Projections: Highlights
(Billions of dollars at seasonally adjusted annual rates except as noted)

Note. Data after 2007:Q1 are staff projections.
1. Average debt levels in the period (computed as the average of period-end debt positions) divided by nominal GDP.
2. Includes change in liabilities not shown in home mortgages and consumer credit.
3. Average debt levels in the period (computed as the average of period-end debt positions) divided by disposable personal income.
4. For corporations, excess of capital expenditures over U.S. internal funds.
5. NIPA state and local government saving plus consumption of fixed capital and net capital transfers.
n.s.a. Not seasonally adjusted.

814.1

204.6
18.3

Borrowing indicators
Debt (percent of GDP) 1
Borrowing (percent of GDP)

Depository institutions
Funds supplied

1911.7
-363.4
2275.1

2005

Domestic nonfinancial sectors
Net funds raised
Total
Net equity issuance
Net debt issuance

Category

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

102.3

292.5
98.0
112.4

169.7
170.3

206.7
-612.0
645.0

611.3
462.1
82.2
129.8

216.9
12.3

1106.5
-612.0
1718.5

Q4

118.7

206.5
152.3
177.3

161.7
164.3

239.0
-352.0
622.3

593.3
462.1
74.8
129.5

217.7
11.2

1231.7
-352.0
1583.7

Q1

398.7

102.7
-96.7
-126.8

161.7
172.7

222.4
-332.0
645.1

595.1
466.9
71.9
129.6

218.2
10.5

1172.6
-332.0
1504.6

Q2

Q3

315.7

275.6
67.1
62.6

161.7
164.0

220.0
-332.0
629.5

593.0
466.9
69.2
129.5

218.6
11.5

1327.7
-332.0
1659.7

2008

363.8

349.1
110.7
116.2

161.7
164.2

236.1
-332.0
630.9

596.9
471.6
67.4
129.5

219.2
11.9

1406.6
-332.0
1738.6

Q4

August 2, 2007

I-31

(This page intentionally blank.)

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

International Developments
During the intermeeting period, the volatility and reassessment of risk initially associated
with U.S. credit markets spread to foreign financial markets. At the same time, however,
indicators of foreign economic activity were positive, prompting us to revise up our
estimate for foreign output growth in the second quarter. Currently, we are not building
into our projection any substantial additional deterioration in financial market conditions,
and we have maintained our outlook of solid growth abroad. However, further negative
financial market developments would pose a prominent downside risk to our forecast.
Since the time of the June Greenbook, WTI oil prices in the spot market have risen
almost $7.50 per barrel. However, futures markets are calling for a reversal of this
increase over the remainder of the forecast period, and other commodity prices are
expected to remain at current elevated levels. Accordingly, we expect inflation abroad to
stay contained, as monetary policy continues to tighten in a number of countries.
Depreciation of the nominal trade-weighted value of the dollar since the June Greenbook
has resulted in a 1¼ percentage point lower starting point for our projection of the broad
real dollar. The average rate of depreciation of the dollar going forward is largely
unchanged from the previous Greenbook, however, as our expectation of slightly slower
depreciation of the dollar against the currencies of the industrial countries is balanced by
faster projected dollar declines against the Asian currencies.
We estimate that real net exports added 1 percentage point at an annual rate to U.S. GDP
growth in the second quarter, as imports contracted and exports accelerated. For the
second half of 2007 and for 2008, we project that real net exports will contribute
¼ percentage point to U.S. GDP growth. The forecast is a little more positive than in the
last Greenbook in light of the recent depreciation of the dollar and the downward-revised
path of U.S. GDP growth. The U.S. current account deficit is expected to widen from an
estimated $793 billion in the second quarter to $841 billion by the end of 2008 but to
remain about unchanged as a ratio to GDP, at 5¾ percent. For 2008, this ratio is nearly
½ percentage point smaller than in the previous Greenbook, reflecting our projection of a
narrower trade deficit and higher net investment income.

I-33

I-34

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

Summary of Staff Projections
(Percent change from end of previous period except as noted,
s.a.a.r.)
Indicator

2006

Projection

2007:
Q1

2007

2008

Q2

H2

Foreign output
June GB

3.9
3.9

3.9
3.7

4.2
3.8

3.6
3.6

3.4
3.5

Foreign CPI
June GB

2.1
2.1

2.9
2.8

3.0
2.7

2.7
2.5

2.3
2.3

Contribution to growth (percentage points)
U.S. net exports
June GB

.4
.5

-.5
-.7

1.0
1.0

.2
.1

.2
.0

Note. Changes for years measured as Q4/Q4; half-year is measured as
Q4/Q2.

Oil Prices
The spot price of West Texas intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed at $76.54 on August 1,
up sharply from the time of the June Greenbook. Futures prices for delivery of WTI over
the near term also rose, but prices further out were little changed compared with those in
the June Greenbook. As a result, the futures curve now slopes downward throughout the
projection period. Informed by futures prices, we project that the price of imported oil
will peak next quarter at $71.57 per barrel and then gradually decline to about $68 by the
end of next year. Relative to the June Greenbook, this projection is about $3.50 per
barrel higher in the second half of this year but less than $1 lower by the final quarter of
2008.
Against the backdrop of continued OPEC supply restraint, the recent rise in near-term
prices partly reflects temporary supply disruptions in the North Sea. In addition, as
inventories of WTI have run off, the spot price of WTI relative to the price of other
grades of crude oil has moved back up. The broader picture continues to be one of a tight
market. With global oil demand expected to remain strong in the second half of this year,
crude oil inventories could decline rapidly if OPEC does not increase production. The
risk of further supply disruptions in Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, and Venezuela also continues to
support oil prices.

International Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-35

International Financial Markets
During the intermeeting period, investor concerns about credit quality roiled international
financial markets. Notable were declines in equity prices and sovereign bond yields in
major foreign industrial countries, as well as a widening of sovereign risk spreads in a
number of emerging market economies. Measures of volatility in currency, bond, and
equity markets have moved up from the time of the last Greenbook, and uncertainty
remains high.
The nominal trade-weighted exchange value of the dollar against the major foreign
currencies, which had fallen steadily over most of the period to a record low, moved back
up a bit as financial volatility mounted. On balance, the major currencies index of the
dollar has declined 1½ percent since the June FOMC meeting. In contrast, the dollar was
little changed, on a trade-weighted basis, against the currencies of our other important
trading partners. The dollar continued to depreciate against many Asian currencies,
including a decline of almost ¾ percent against the Chinese renminbi, but was up
1¼ percent against the Mexican peso.
We expect the index of the nominal currencies of the major industrial countries to
depreciate at an annual rate of about 1 percent over the forecast period, a slower rate than
in the June Greenbook. Market expectations for longer-term U.S. interest rates have
fallen below the staff forecast; we assume that interest rates will increase as market
expectations come to be more aligned with the staff outlook, and that this rise will
moderate the dollar’s decline. On the other hand, we assume that Chinese authorities will
allow a somewhat more rapid rate of appreciation of the renminbi against the dollar and
that other Asian currencies will follow suit. Accordingly, after a downward shift to the
level of the broad real dollar in the current quarter, the pace of depreciation over the
forecast period is roughly unchanged from the previous Greenbook.
Euro-area and U.K. long-term sovereign bond yields fell about 20 basis points over the
intermeeting period, about 10 basis points less than in the United States, while yields
edged down about 10 basis points in Canada and Japan. Yields on inflation-protected
government securities also fell over the period, and implied inflation compensation
declined slightly in most countries. In contrast, long-term yields denominated in local
currencies rose in most emerging market economies, and the aggregate EMBI+ spread
increased 50 basis points.

I-36

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

European stock indexes have dropped nearly 4 percent since the June FOMC meeting;
financial stocks were especially hard hit. Equity prices in emerging Asian economies
rose over most of the period, but many indexes subsequently retraced part of that gain.
The Chinese stock market was up 12½ percent, on balance, in part in response to higherthan-expected GDP growth last quarter. In contrast, performance of Latin American
equity indexes was more mixed, with Mexican equity prices falling 2½ percent.

. The Desk did not intervene during
the period for the accounts of the System or the Treasury.
Advanced Foreign Economies
We estimate that real GDP growth in the advanced foreign economies moderated to just
below 3 percent at an annual rate in the second quarter. This still-robust pace is
consistent with favorable indicators of real activity and labor market conditions. Output
growth is expected to moderate further over the forecast period to around 2¼ percent by
the end of next year. In Europe and Canada, we expect the deceleration to be
concentrated in investment, while, in Japan, the step-down is projected to be more
broadly based. Relative to the June Greenbook, the forecast for GDP growth is little
changed on average in the near term, with weaker indicators for Japan and Europe offset
by stronger-than-expected data in Canada. At this time, we do not anticipate that the
recent financial market turmoil will have a significant impact on industrial country
output, but it does present a risk to the forecast.
The moderation toward trend growth in all the major industrial countries also reflects the
assumption of tightening monetary policy. With growth remaining above trend and labor
markets tight, we expect that inflation concerns will lead the ECB and Bank of Canada to
raise policy rates twice more this year to 4.5 percent and 5 percent, respectively, and the
Bank of England to increase its rate this quarter to 6 percent. The Bank of Japan is
assumed to gradually tighten policy, bringing its rate to 1.25 percent by the end of 2008.
In part in response to tighter monetary policy and to the abatement of recent energy price
increases, we project that industrial country inflation, after rising to 2¼ percent (fourquarter rate) in the fourth quarter of this year, will fall to less than 1¾ percent by the end
of next year. In contrast to the other industrial economies, in Japan, inflation remains
near zero in the near term and rises to about ½ percent next year. For 2007, our overall

International Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-37

forecast is slightly above that in the June Greenbook, reflecting higher oil prices and
incoming data for the euro area and Canada.
Emerging Market Economies
Real GDP in the emerging market economies is estimated to have jumped 6 percent at an
annual rate in the second quarter, a 1 percentage point upward revision since the June
Greenbook, largely because of surprisingly strong growth in China. As in the previous
Greenbook, the pace of expansion is expected to be just under 5 percent in the current
quarter and remain at that rate through 2008.
The growth of real GDP in emerging Asia is estimated to have stepped up to 8½ percent
in the second quarter. Staff calculations from official Chinese data imply that secondquarter real GDP in China soared 14¾ percent. Fixed investment and retail sales were
very strong, and net exports reached new heights, boosted by a rush to ship products
before the July 1 reduction in VAT rebates. Chinese authorities raised interest rates and
reserve requirements in late July and further monetary policy tightening is anticipated.
We expect growth to shift down to near 9¾ percent over the forecast period, partly
reflecting a moderation in export growth. This forecast is a little higher than in the
previous Greenbook. Growth in the rest of Asia also appears to have been solid in the
second quarter. In particular, Korean real GDP rose 7 percent, as domestic demand
remained strong and net exports rebounded some. Conditional on more-temperate
growth in China and Korea, we project regional output growth will stabilize at
6¼ percent for the remainder of the forecast period.
In Latin America, indicators for Mexico’s manufacturing and construction industries
point to a subdued rebound in the second quarter after weak performance in the previous
two quarters. In line with the projected moderate pace of U.S. manufacturing production,
Mexican output is expected to grow at roughly a 3¼ percent annual rate through 2008.
Boosted by high commodities prices and continued easing in monetary policy, Brazilian
output growth is estimated to have picked up to 4¼ percent in the second quarter and is
expected to remain at that pace through 2008. Although volatility and credit risk spreads
have risen in Latin American markets, we have not importantly altered our output
forecast in response to these market developments, but downside risks remain.
Four-quarter inflation in the emerging market economies is projected to reach 3½ percent
this quarter in response to higher food and energy prices before tapering off to 3 percent
by the end of 2008. This pattern is most pronounced in China, where four-quarter

I-38

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

inflation is expected to hit 4½ percent in the current quarter, boosted by a sharp increase
in food prices. We assume that Chinese authorities will take action to restrain food price
inflation if necessary, possibly including restricting the production of ethanol, which has
contributed directly to higher corn prices and indirectly to higher meat prices. Chinese
inflation is thus expected to drop to 2¾ percent by the end of 2008.
Prices of Internationally Traded Goods
Core import price inflation picked up to a 3½ percent annual rate in the second quarter,
largely because of an acceleration of prices for imported industrial supplies, particularly
metals, and continued increases in the prices of imported food. In the third quarter, we
expect core import price inflation to rise further, in part reflecting the recent depreciation
of the dollar. Thereafter, core import prices decelerate as commodity prices level off and
the pace of dollar depreciation slows. Data for the second quarter came in about
1 percentage point lower than we had expected in the June Greenbook, but our forecast is
up ¼ percentage point in the second half of this year owing to the recent depreciation of
the dollar.
Staff Projections of Selected Trade Prices
(Percent change from end of previous period excepted as noted, s.a.a.r.)
Projection
Indicator

2006

2007:
Q1

2007

2008

Q2
Imports
Core goods
June GB
Oil (dollars per barrel)
June GB
Exports
Core goods
June GB

H2

2.4
2.7
55.33
55.33

2.7
2.8
54.39
54.39

3.6
4.5
63.78
63.24

3.6
3.3
71.57
68.32

1.6
1.6
68.38
68.79

4.3
4.2

6.0
5.9

7.0
6.0

3.4
3.2

1.5
1.2

Note. Prices for core exports exclude computers and semiconductors. Prices
for core imports exclude computers, semiconductors, oil, and natural gas. Both
price series are on a NIPA chain-weighted basis.
The price of imported oil for multiquarter periods is the price for the final
quarter of the period. Imported oil includes both crude oil and refined products.

International Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-39

Core export price inflation moved up to an annual rate of 7 percent in the second quarter,
as higher inflation for exports of nonagricultural industrial supplies was only partially
offset by lower, but still rapid, inflation for exports of agricultural products. Among
industrial supplies, prices of exported metals led the way, although there was some
deceleration in June; disinflation in the prices of some agricultural products partially
offset steeper price increases for grains and meat. Consistent with a projected leveling
off of commodity prices, core export price inflation is projected to move down quickly
over the next few quarters, falling to 3½ percent in the second half of this year and to
1½ percent next year.
Trade in Goods and Services
After contributing 1 percentage point at an annual rate to U.S. GDP growth last quarter,
real net exports should add ¼ percentage point to U.S. GDP growth for the second half of
2007 and for 2008. The annual revisions to the national income and product accounts
included only modest changes to real exports and imports and did not lead us to alter our
views of the relationships among trade, GDP, and relative prices. We revised down our
forecast for real imports in response to the lower projected path of U.S. GDP growth, but
we did not build in any further changes as a result of the annual revisions.
After increasing at an annual rate of nearly 4 percent in the first quarter of 2007, real
imports of goods and services are estimated to have fallen 2½ percent in the second
quarter. A drop in oil imports accounts for much of the decline. However, imported
services also fell, and core goods imports were nearly flat after declining in the previous
quarter; the monthly nominal data indicate that imports of core goods fell sharply in April
and only partially recovered in May. Real imports of high-tech goods in the second
quarter were mixed, with imports of semiconductors rising and computer imports falling.
In the second half of 2007, we expect real import growth to recover, with oil imports
moving up and imports of services and core goods returning to a pace more consistent
with moderate U.S. GDP growth. Import growth is expected to strengthen a bit further in
2008 as imports of core goods and services respond to the deceleration of import prices.
Imports of computers and semiconductors expand steadily as well, whereas oil imports
edge down. For the second half of 2007, the current projection for import growth is
1 percentage point below that in the June Greenbook, reflecting both lower expected
growth of oil and natural gas imports as well as the effects of the lower dollar and slower
U.S. GDP growth. For 2008, our sizable downward revision to import growth mainly
reflects the slower U.S. growth projection.

I-40

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

Staff Projections for
Trade in Goods and Services
(Percent change from end of previous period, s.a.a.r.)
Measure

2006

Projection

2007:
Q1

2007

2008

Q2

H2

Real imports
June GB

3.7
3.3

3.9
5.4

-2.4
-2.4

2.7
3.8

3.0
3.8

Real exports
June GB

9.3
9.4

1.1
1.2

5.6
5.4

6.2
6.0

5.8
5.7

NOTE. Changes for years are measured as Q4/Q4; half-year
is measured as Q4/Q2.

We estimate that real exports of goods and services rose 5½ percent at an annual rate in
the second quarter, significantly higher than the 1 percent pace in the first quarter but
similar to our projection in the June Greenbook. Exports of both services and core goods
accelerated, increasing 7¼ percent and 5 percent respectively. Compared with the
depressed rate of growth recorded for both categories in the first quarter, this quicker
pace was more in line with foreign activity and relative prices. However, falling real
exports of computers held down overall export growth slightly last quarter.
Given the recent depreciation of the dollar and our expectations of solid foreign growth,
we project that the growth of real exports of goods and services will improve further in
the second half of the year, to 6¼ percent. Because services respond rapidly to dollar
movements, exports of services are expected to increase 8 percent in the second half of
2007, almost double the first-half pace. In 2008, however, exports of services are
anticipated to decelerate as the effect of the recent dollar movement fades. This
deceleration will cause total export growth to shift down to 5¾ percent next year, even as
favorable relative prices lead core export growth to edge up and overseas sales of hightech goods expand. Compared with the June Greenbook, the current projection is a touch
higher, mostly because of the weaker dollar.
Alternative Simulations
Our baseline forecast projects a modest depreciation of the broad real dollar, but the
dollar’s recent weakness may presage a considerably larger decline. We use the
FRB/Global model to examine the effects of a risk-premium shock in the third quarter of
2007 that would generate a 10 percent depreciation of the dollar in the absence of an

International Developments

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR) I-41

endogenous adjustment of domestic or foreign interest rates. In the first simulation, passthrough from the exchange rate to U.S. import prices is set at our benchmark value of
about ⅓ in the long run, a rate consistent with substantial empirical evidence that
indicates relatively low pass-through since the early 1990s. Nevertheless, import prices
might exhibit a considerably stronger reaction. Thus, in a second simulation, we consider
a scenario in which pass-through from the exchange rate to import prices is ⅔ in the longrun, which is roughly consistent with estimates of pass-through based on data for years
preceding the 1990s.
Under our benchmark specification of relatively low pass-through, the decline in the
dollar boosts the growth of U.S. real GDP 0.4 percentage point (annual rate) above
baseline in the second half of 2007 and about 0.8 percentage point in 2008. Output rises
because U.S. exports become more competitive abroad and because U.S. consumers
substitute away from imports toward domestically produced goods. Core PCE price
inflation increases 0.3 percentage point above baseline in the second half of 2007, mainly
because of higher import prices, and about 0.1 percentage point in 2008 in response to
higher resource utilization. Given higher activity and prices, the federal funds rate rises
120 basis points above its baseline level by the end of 2008. The nominal trade balance
as a percent of GDP exhibits a J-curve effect, initially falling (thereby creating a larger
deficit) before increasing 0.4 percentage point above baseline by the end of 2008.
In the higher pass-through specification, U.S. real GDP growth is up 0.5 percentage point
in the remainder of 2007 and about 0.9 percentage point above baseline throughout 2008.
The increase in real activity is more substantial than in the first scenario because the
larger rise in the relative price of imported goods induces more substitution toward U.S.
goods. Moreover, because import prices increase more sharply, core PCE inflation rises
0.5 percentage point above baseline in the second half of 2007, roughly twice as much as
in the low pass-through scenario. Given the heightened response of real activity and
prices, the federal funds rate rises 170 basis points above baseline by the end of 2008.

I-42

Class II FOMC—Restricted (FR)

Part 1: Summary and Outlook, August 2, 2007

Alternative Simulation:
10 Percent Dollar Depreciation
(Percent change from previous period, annual rate, except as noted)
2007

Indicator and simulation

2008

H1

H2

H1

H2

U.S. real GDP
Baseline
Low pass-through
High pass-through

2.0
2.0
2.0

1.9
2.3
2.4

1.9
2.8
3.1

2.1
2.7
2.7

U.S. core PCE inflation
Baseline
Low pass-through
High pass-through

1.9
1.9
1.9

2.1
2.4
2.6

2.1
2.1
2.2

2.0
2.1
2.1

U.S. federal funds rate
(percent)
Baseline
Low pass-through
High pass-through

5.3
5.3
5.3

5.3
5.5
5.7

5.3
6.1
6.5

5.3
6.5
7.0

U.S. trade balance
(percent of GDP)
Baseline
Low pass-through
High pass-through

-5.2
-5.2
-5.2

-5.3
-5.5
-5.8

-5.2
-5.0
-5.2

-4.9
-4.5
-4.5

NOTE. Half year changes are measured as Q2/Q4 or Q4/Q2. The
federal funds rate is the average rate for the final quarter of the period.

I-43

Class II FOMC -- Restricted (FR)

Evolution of the Staff Forecast

Current Account Balance
Percent of GDP

-5.5

-6.0

-6.5
2006
-7.0
2008
-7.5
2007

1/26

3/16

4/28

6/22

8/4

9/14 10/26 12/7

1/25

3/22

5/3

2005

6/21

8/3

9/13 10/18

12/6

1/24

3/14

5/2

2006

6/20

8/2

9/12 10/24 12/5

-8.0

2007

Greenbook publication date

Foreign Real GDP
Percent change, Q4/Q4

4.0

3.5

2006
2008

2007

3.0

1/26

3/16

4/28

6/22

8/4

9/14 10/26 12/7

1/25

2005

3/22

5/3

6/21

8/3

9/13 10/18

12/6

1/24

3/14

5/2

2006
Greenbook publication date

6/20

8/2

9/12 10/24 12/5

2.5

2007

Core Import Prices*
Percent change, Q4/Q4

5
4
3
2

2007
2006

1
2008
0

1/26

3/16

4/28

6/22

2005

8/4

9/14 10/26 12/7

1/25

3/22

5/3

6/21

8/3

9/13 10/18

12/6

1/24

2006
Greenbook publication date
*Prices for merchandise imports excluding computers, semiconductors, oil, and natural gas.

3/14

5/2

6/20

2007

8/2

9/12 10/24 12/5

-1

August 2, 2007

5.1
5.6
4.4
7.8
4.5
4.8
4.4

Emerging Market Economies
Asia
Korea
China
Latin America
Mexico
Brazil

0.9
1.1
-1.1
1.1
2.1
1.5

1.9
3.1
-0.5
0.9
2.5
1.7

3.8
-0.5
1.5
2.3
1.2

2.1

4.0
6.4
7.7
8.5
1.6
2.0
5.0

3.5
2.0
2.3
1.0
0.0

2.5

3.1

1.7
-0.3
1.3
2.0
1.1

1.3

4.8
6.9
4.2
10.1
2.4
2.1
0.8

1.5
2.4
3.4
1.1
0.2

1.8

3.0

2.3
0.5
1.4
2.3
2.1

1.8

5.6
5.9
2.9
9.6
5.3
4.8
5.0

3.5
1.1
2.6
1.6
0.2

2.5

3.8

2.2
-1.0
2.1
2.3
2.2

1.5

5.4
7.5
5.7
10.0
3.1
2.5
3.1

3.2
2.8
1.8
1.9
1.7

2.7

3.8

1.3
0.3
2.7
1.8
1.3

1.3

5.7
6.7
4.0
10.4
4.9
4.3
4.7

1.9
2.4
3.1
3.3
3.9

2.5

3.9

3.1
0.2
2.2
2.3
2.4

2.2

5.0
6.9
5.0
11.9
3.0
2.6
3.9

3.1
2.3
2.8
2.6
2.6

3.0

3.8

2.0
0.4
2.0
1.9
1.8

1.6

4.9
6.3
4.5
9.7
3.5
3.2
4.2

2.4
1.8
2.5
2.1
2.1

2.4

3.4

1.
2.
3.
4.

Foreign GDP aggregates calculated using shares of U.S. exports.
Harmonized data for euro area from Eurostat.
Foreign CPI aggregates calculated using shares of U.S. non-oil imports.
CPI excluding mortgage interest payments, which is the targeted inflation rate.

Emerging Market Economies
4.1
2.8
2.9
3.1
3.9
3.0
2.9
3.5
3.1
Asia
1.8
1.2
0.8
2.2
3.2
2.6
2.3
3.5
2.8
Korea
2.5
3.3
3.3
3.5
3.4
2.5
2.1
3.5
2.9
China
1.0
-0.1
-0.6
2.7
3.3
1.4
2.1
4.0
2.8
Latin America
8.4
5.3
6.4
4.9
5.7
3.8
4.2
3.7
3.8
Mexico
8.7
5.1
5.2
3.9
5.3
3.1
4.1
3.3
3.5
Brazil
6.4
7.5
10.7
11.5
7.2
6.1
3.2
4.1
3.7
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Advanced Foreign Economies
of which:
Canada
Japan
United Kingdom (4)
Euro Area (2)
Germany

CONSUMER PRICES (3)
-------------------

1.3
-1.7
2.1
1.1
1.1

4.1
3.1
3.1
3.2
2.3
-0.4
1.1
4.7
7.1
-1.3
-1.3
-0.7

0.9

0.4

3.5

4.2

Advanced Foreign Economies
of which:
Canada
Japan
United Kingdom
Euro Area (2)
Germany

REAL GDP (1)
-----------Total foreign

Projected
Measure and country
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUTLOOK FOR FOREIGN REAL GDP AND CONSUMER PRICES: SELECTED COUNTRIES
(Percent, Q4 to Q4)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-44

August 2, 2007

6.9
7.1
4.0
11.5
7.4
7.5
5.2

Emerging Market Economies
Asia
Korea
China
Latin America
Mexico
Brazil

4.9
6.6
3.8
10.5
2.7
1.5
4.3

1.5
5.4
3.3
3.6
4.0

2.5

3.5

4.3
7.2
3.6
14.2
1.4
0.6
3.1

3.7
3.3
2.8
2.9
2.1

3.7

3.9

6.0
8.4
7.0
14.7
3.6
3.2
4.3

3.2
1.9
3.3
2.6
2.6

2.9

4.2

4.9
6.0
4.7
9.5
3.7
3.5
4.2

2.8
2.1
2.6
2.7
3.0

2.7

3.6

4.8
6.2
4.6
9.5
3.3
3.0
4.2

2.6
2.1
2.7
2.4
2.7

2.6

3.5

4.8
6.3
4.5
9.5
3.3
3.0
4.2

2.4
1.9
2.6
2.2
2.4

2.4

3.4

4.9
6.3
4.5
9.7
3.5
3.2
4.2

2.5
1.9
2.6
2.1
2.2

2.4

3.4

4.9
6.4
4.5
10.0
3.5
3.3
4.2

2.5
1.8
2.5
2.0
2.0

2.3

3.4

4.9
6.3
4.5
9.7
3.5
3.3
4.2

2.4
1.7
2.4
2.0
2.0

2.3

3.4

2.0
2.6
0.2
2.2
2.5
2.1

1.8
2.5
-0.2
2.0
2.3
2.1

1.6
0.6
2.4
2.1
1.6

1.6
1.3
0.3
2.7
1.8
1.3

1.3

1.9
-0.1
2.8
1.9
1.9

1.6

2.0
0.0
2.6
1.9
2.0

1.6

2.6
-0.1
2.3
2.1
2.2

1.8

3.1
0.2
2.2
2.3
2.4

2.2

2.5
0.5
2.1
2.3
2.1

2.0

2.2
0.4
2.1
2.0
1.9

1.7

2.0
0.3
2.1
1.9
1.7

1.6

2.0
0.4
2.0
1.9
1.8

1.6

--------------------------- Four-quarter changes --------------------------

5.2
6.8
5.0
8.0
4.1
2.7
11.2

1.3
0.3
2.8
2.3
3.3

1.9

3.3

1.
2.
3.
4.

Foreign GDP aggregates calculated using shares of U.S. exports.
Harmonized data for euro area from Eurostat.
Foreign CPI aggregates calculated using shares of U.S. non-oil imports.
CPI excluding mortgage interest payments, which is the targeted inflation rate.

Emerging Market Economies
3.0
2.9
2.7
2.9
3.1
3.3
3.6
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.1
3.1
Asia
2.4
2.5
2.2
2.3
2.7
3.0
3.5
3.5
3.5
3.2
2.8
2.8
Korea
2.1
2.3
2.5
2.1
2.0
2.5
2.7
3.5
4.1
3.7
3.3
2.9
China
1.2
1.3
1.2
2.1
2.8
3.6
4.4
4.0
3.8
3.2
2.6
2.8
Latin America
4.2
3.5
3.8
4.2
4.2
4.2
3.9
3.7
3.4
3.8
3.8
3.8
Mexico
3.7
3.1
3.5
4.1
4.1
4.0
3.6
3.3
3.1
3.5
3.5
3.5
Brazil
5.6
4.3
3.8
3.2
3.1
3.4
4.1
4.1
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Advanced Foreign Economies
of which:
Canada
Japan
United Kingdom (4)
Euro Area (2)
Germany

CONSUMER PRICES (3)
-------------------

1.5
1.8
3.3
3.7
5.0

3.4
2.2
3.3
3.7
3.4
5.9
6.4
3.2
11.7
5.3
5.4
-1.4

2.4

3.8

3.3

4.8

-------------------- Quarterly changes at an annual rate ------------------

Advanced Foreign Economies
of which:
Canada
Japan
United Kingdom
Euro Area (2)
Germany

REAL GDP (1)
-----------Total foreign

----------------- Projected -----------------2006
2007
2008
------------------------------------------------------------------Measure and country
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUTLOOK FOR FOREIGN REAL GDP AND CONSUMER PRICES: SELECTED COUNTRIES
(Percent changes)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-45

August 2, 2007

6.5
1.8
22.7
27.6
5.9
11.2
10.6
13.3
37.3
13.9
22.8
10.3

Exports of G&S
Services
Computers
Semiconductors
Core Goods 1/

Imports of G&S
Services
Oil
Natural Gas
Computers
Semiconductors
Core Goods 2/

-0.9
0.4
-1.3

-0.1
0.6
-0.7

9.7
8.8
3.8
19.5
13.2
11.0
10.0

3.8
10.2
-1.1
10.1
0.6
4.8
2.2
1.2
1.3
17.0
-0.1
5.2

5.8
3.0
11.3
38.3
4.9
11.5
9.3
10.8
4.9
23.2
9.8
11.4

7.4
8.3
5.8
-6.0
8.0

-0.9
0.7
-1.7

Billions of Chained 2000 Dollars

-7.6
-5.9
3.7
-6.5
-13.6
-51.1
-6.5

-11.9
-8.9
-23.5
-34.6
-10.2

Percentage change, Q4/Q4

-0.2
-1.3
1.1

5.1
1.4
1.2
11.3
12.2
7.6
6.1

7.0
4.1
14.0
17.5
7.5

-0.1
0.7
-0.8

3.7
6.1
-9.0
-13.4
13.6
-0.5
5.9

9.3
8.3
8.2
2.4
10.2

0.4
1.0
-0.6

1.7
0.4
2.1
0.0
14.1
7.3
1.0

4.8
6.1
1.0
14.9
3.8

0.3
0.5
-0.3

3.0
2.6
-1.4
7.6
15.5
5.0
3.2

5.8
6.2
9.5
11.0
5.2

0.2
0.7
-0.5

25.7
94.9
-69.2

-379.8

-417.4
-4.3

36.9
115.9
-79.0

-365.1

-384.7
-3.8

33.2
102.4
-69.1

-423.7

-459.6
-4.4

51.1
112.7
-61.5

-496.9

-522.1
-4.8

62.5
139.4
-76.9

-612.1

-640.2
-5.5

54.5
152.5
-98.1

-714.4

-754.8
-6.1

43.2
174.2
-131.0

-758.5

-811.5
-6.2

26.2
211.1
-184.9

-729.4

-804.1
-5.8

-10.4
237.6
-247.9

-721.7

-834.7
-5.8

1. Merchandise exports excluding computers and semiconductors.
2. Merchandise imports excluding oil, natural gas, computers, and semiconductors.

Other Income & Transfers,Net
-63.3
-56.5
-69.2
-76.3
-90.6
-94.9
-96.1
-100.9
-102.7
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Investment Income, Net
Direct, Net
Portfolio, Net

Net Goods & Services (BOP)

US CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE
Current Acct as Percent of GDP

Billions of dollars

Net Goods & Services
-379.5
-399.1
-471.3
-518.9
-593.8
-618.0
-624.5
-581.2
-549.1
Exports of G&S
1096.3
1036.7
1013.3
1026.1
1126.1
1203.4
1304.1
1384.3
1466.0
Imports of G&S
1475.8
1435.8
1484.6
1545.0
1719.9
1821.5
1928.6
1965.6
2015.2
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-0.9
0.7
-1.6

Percentage point contribution to GDP growth, Q4/Q4

Net Goods & Services
Exports of G&S
Imports of G&S

NIPA REAL EXPORTS and IMPORTS

Projected
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUTLOOK FOR U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-46

August 2, 2007

0.2
-0.5
0.7

-5.0
-10.6
-9.7
-45.9
11.4
-6.3
-3.1

Exports of G&S
Services
Computers
Semiconductors
Core Goods 1/

Imports of G&S
Services
Oil
Natural Gas
Computers
Semiconductors
Core Goods 2/

0.5
1.0
-0.5

-0.5
1.8
-2.3

-0.8
0.9
-1.7

-1.5
0.6
-2.1

-0.4
0.3
-0.7

3.8
21.2
-6.0
66.4
11.1
-4.2
-0.1

11.4
17.5
34.7
44.6
5.2
17.6
19.6
9.9
-32.1
36.9
9.7
18.0

20.8
23.1
23.2
40.7
18.3
12.3
16.5
39.2
33.4
20.7
43.0
6.5

10.0
16.2
-7.0
16.7
7.8
15.2
8.9
-26.3
43.1
30.1
18.5
23.0

6.5
5.1
1.7
-13.4
9.2
4.8
1.8
-7.1
48.5
25.6
3.9
5.4

3.1
-3.4
16.7
-20.9
7.7

Billions of Chained 2000 Dollars, s.a.a.r.

4.1
-15.7
12.4
72.5
10.7
1.1
7.2

-1.7
-2.8
-5.2
30.9
-2.9

10.0
16.8
13.4
-2.4
7.4

-1.1
1.0
-2.0

13.8
10.5
58.3
-57.3
17.0
-17.4
11.6

Percentage change from previous period, s.a.a.r.

-0.7
-0.2
-0.6

Percentage point contribution to GDP growth

2.1
-3.5
5.4
53.9
5.7
-9.5
2.2

6.0
6.5
17.4
-1.7
5.7

0.3
0.6
-0.3

0.8
-0.5
-26.2
-4.0
9.8
7.7
6.2

9.5
0.9
24.9
9.3
13.2

0.8
0.9
-0.1

2.1
0.0
-14.2
108.6
17.0
15.7
3.0

2.1
2.6
12.8
23.2
0.2

-0.1
0.2
-0.3

16.2
10.3
57.1
-50.2
16.6
18.8
13.5

10.6
6.3
2.0
43.8
11.5

-1.4
1.1
-2.5

47.8
108.2
-60.4

47.8
109.2
-61.4

-493.4

-522.1
-4.7

74.3
136.2
-62.0

-500.9

-505.5
-4.5

82.2
146.2
-63.9

-544.1

-559.8
-4.9

59.4
129.6
-70.3

-602.4

-634.7
-5.5

69.2
143.4
-74.2

-626.4

-632.3
-5.4

39.2
138.4
-99.2

-675.4

-733.8
-6.1

56.2
140.4
-84.3

-666.6

-729.6
-6.0

53.5
147.3
-93.8

-682.7

-732.9
-6.0

72.8
176.1
-103.3

-723.8

-693.6
-5.5

35.3
146.2
-110.9

-784.4

-863.2
-6.8

1. Merchandise exports excluding computers and semiconductors.
2. Merchandise imports excluding oil, natural gas, computers, and semiconductors.

Other Inc. & Transfers, Net -76.5
-73.4
-76.5
-78.8
-97.8
-91.7
-75.1
-97.6 -119.2 -103.8
-42.6 -114.1
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

34.6
97.1
-62.4

-494.8

Net Goods & Services (BOP) -498.6

Investment Income, Net
Direct, Net
Portfolio, Net

-520.4
-4.8

-540.4
-5.0

US CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE
Current Account as % of GDP

Billions of dollars, s.a.a.r.

Net Goods & Services
-507.2 -526.9 -513.8 -527.8 -549.1 -591.1 -602.7 -632.3 -624.4 -601.0 -604.1 -642.6
Exports of G&S
1003.3
999.0 1026.3 1075.8 1101.8 1119.4 1128.0 1155.3 1172.4 1199.3 1205.6 1236.4
Imports of G&S
1510.5 1525.9 1540.0 1603.6 1650.9 1710.5 1730.8 1787.7 1796.8 1800.3 1809.7 1879.0
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-5.3
-20.0
-2.3
37.4
0.2

Net Goods & Services
Exports of G&S
Imports of G&S

NIPA REAL EXPORTS and IMPORTS

2003
2004
2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUTLOOK FOR U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-47

August 2, 2007

0.1
1.2
-1.1

6.9
9.5
-3.6
-49.4
27.0
0.1
9.7

Exports of G&S
Services
Computers
Semiconductors
Core Goods 1/

Imports of G&S
Services
Oil
Natural Gas
Computers
Semiconductors
Core Goods 2/

-0.3
0.6
-0.9

1.3
1.5
-0.3

-0.5
0.1
-0.6

1.0
0.6
0.4

0.5
0.7
-0.2

5.4
1.3
3.3
24.1
16.0
20.9
5.5

5.7
2.0
-3.9
-11.5
9.2
1.6
14.2
-6.9
-59.8
-3.2
-17.9
3.1

14.3
26.0
9.9
-13.5
11.0
3.9
2.3
29.6
8.3
41.1
4.0
-2.3

1.1
1.6
-8.2
25.4
0.3
-2.4
-4.0
-23.2
263.4
-10.0
15.6
0.2

5.6
7.2
-5.4
12.9
5.0
1.0
2.1
-10.8
-47.2
15.5
5.0
3.9

6.3
8.2
9.5
11.0
5.1

Billions of Chained 2000 Dollars, s.a.a.r.

0.9
-0.1
-26.1
123.0
16.9
-1.5
5.4

5.7
3.9
13.0
14.5
5.7

6.1
7.7
9.5
11.0
5.0

-0.1
0.7
-0.8

4.5
1.2
22.3
-51.8
15.5
5.0
2.3

Percentage change from previous period, s.a.a.r.

0.5
0.6
-0.1

Percentage point contribution to GDP growth

4.8
1.9
15.7
9.6
15.5
5.0
2.3

5.9
6.9
9.5
11.0
5.0

-0.1
0.7
-0.8

-0.9
2.5
-25.9
38.5
15.5
5.0
3.0

5.8
6.4
9.5
11.0
5.1

0.8
0.7
0.2

2.9
7.4
-10.2
25.7
15.5
5.0
3.5

5.7
5.9
9.5
11.0
5.2

0.2
0.7
-0.5

5.4
-1.3
22.6
-29.8
15.5
5.0
3.9

5.6
5.5
9.5
11.0
5.3

-0.2
0.7
-0.9

-770.3
49.2
178.6
-129.4

Net Goods & Services (BOP) -758.8

Investment Income, Net
Direct, Net
Portfolio, Net

30.0
161.9
-132.0

-797.2

-869.3
-6.6

45.3
188.3
-143.0

-707.7

-751.8
-5.6

48.1
205.3
-157.2

-707.2

-770.3
-5.7

23.3
199.6
-176.4

-723.7

-793.3
-5.8

19.7
214.3
-194.6

-740.2

-822.2
-5.9

13.6
225.2
-211.6

-746.4

-830.6
-5.9

0.8
227.2
-226.5

-752.1

-858.1
-6.1

-6.3
234.4
-240.7

-715.8

-821.1
-5.7

-14.0
241.2
-255.2

-705.8

-818.8
-5.7

-21.9
247.4
-269.3

-712.9

-840.8
-5.8

1. Merchandise exports excluding computers and semiconductors.
2. Merchandise imports excluding oil, natural gas, computers, and semiconductors.

Other Inc. & Transfers, Net -91.8 -101.2 -102.1
-89.4 -111.3
-92.9 -101.7
-97.8 -106.7
-99.0
-99.0 -106.0
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

48.3
168.0
-119.8

-822.4
-6.3

-802.4
-6.2

US CURRENT ACCOUNT BALANCE
Current Account as % of GDP

Billions of dollars, s.a.a.r.

Net Goods & Services
-640.1 -626.6 -633.8 -597.3 -612.1 -581.5 -565.1 -566.2 -569.3 -544.3 -538.4 -544.5
Exports of G&S
1270.6 1288.4 1306.6 1350.9 1354.7 1373.2 1394.4 1415.1 1435.5 1455.8 1476.2 1496.6
Imports of G&S
1910.7 1915.0 1940.4 1948.2 1966.8 1954.7 1959.5 1981.3 2004.8 2000.2 2014.6 2041.1
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11.5
2.9
14.6
25.3
14.9

Net Goods & Services
Exports of G&S
Imports of G&S

NIPA REAL EXPORTS and IMPORTS

------------------- Projected --------------------2006
2007
2008
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OUTLOOK FOR U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Class II FOMC
Restricted (FR)

I-48

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