英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

VOA慢速英语2009-Economics Report - Jobs and the Slow Road to Eco

时间:2009-06-04 03:18来源:互联网 提供网友:cuixuemei   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

The National Association for Business Economics has its latest predictions for the American economy. Most of the forty-five business economists1 questioned said they expect the recession to end in the second half of the year. But they also expect a slower-than-usual recovery.

Still, there were more signs this week that Americans are feeling better about the economy. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index had its biggest jump in six years in May.
 
A new home that sold recently in Springfield, Illinois

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes rose about three percent from March to April. The Commerce Department said sales of new single-family houses also rose -- but just by three-tenths of one percent.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency said home prices fell seven percent in the first three months of the year. But that was less than they fell at the end of two thousand eight compared to a year earlier.

Housing recoveries usually follow employment recoveries. Experts say job losses might slow later this year, but the unemployment rate could rise until the middle of next year.

Job losses help explain the latest numbers from the Mortgage Bankers Association. By the end of March, twelve percent of homeowners with a mortgage were late on loan payments or in the process of losing their home. California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada drove up the national numbers.

Pete Kyle is a University of Maryland finance professor. He agrees that the economy should begin to grow again in the second half of the year. But because of job conditions, he says, the recovery is "not going to feel like a recovery to the average person."

Unemployment was almost nine percent in April, the highest since the early eighties. High unemployment reduces spending which slows recovery. Professor Kyle also points to a weak property market, both for housing and businesses.

But what really set this economic downturn apart from others, he says, was the severity of the banking2 crisis. Many banks, he says, are going to need additional capital to deal with bad loans and heavy debt.

Heavy government debt only adds to unease about the future after the so-called Great Recession.

But President Obama says "we have stepped back from the brink3." He says there is now some calm that did not exist before. But he also says Americans cannot return to a "borrow-and-spend economy."

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 economists 2ba0a36f92d9c37ef31cc751bca1a748     
n.经济学家,经济专家( economist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
  • Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 banking aySz20     
n.银行业,银行学,金融业
参考例句:
  • John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
  • He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。
3 brink OWazM     
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿
参考例句:
  • The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
  • The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
顶一下
(61)
81.3%
踩一下
(14)
18.7%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴