President Donald Trumpâs economic adviser Kevin Hassett is predicting that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter will be the worst drop the U.S. has seen in a long time.Â
âRight now, if you take what happened at the end of the first quarter ⌠then youâre looking like itâs pretty likely you get a negative number,â Hassett said during an interview on CNBC on Monday.
He continued, âAnd then for second-quarter GDP, itâs going to be the biggest negative number that weâve seen since the Great Depression.â
Hassett estimated that the GDP for the second quarter would be around âminus 20 to minus 30 percent.â
Watch the interview below:
GDP is a measure of the value of goods and services produced in the country and an indicator of how healthy a countryâs economy is. During the Great Recession between December 2007 to June 2009, which was the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, GDP dropped 4.3%.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate during the recession rose to 10%.
Hassett predicts that the unemployment rate in the first week of May will be between 16% and 17%.
âThe question is, what happens next and thatâs what weâre focused on at the White House,â he said.
Hassettâs comments come as some states are preparing to reopen their economies. However, members of the White House coronavirus task force have warned that the process of lifting restrictions on businesses and public life will have to be done carefully.
Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb predicts that parts of the country may be able to start reopening in mid-May or late-May, as IJR previously reported.Â
However, Dr. Deborah Birx predicts that social distancing guidelines will likely stay in place through the summer.
