After the worst economic downturn in 80 years, which continues to cause immense hardship, the prospects for the US economy are the most complex and uncertain in my adult lifetime, creating a difficult decision-making environment for policymakers and markets. There are realistic chances of a healthy recovery in the shorter term. However, we face enormous headwinds: high unemployment and low job growth; both a decline in fiscal demand and unsustainably high federal deficits; excess capacity; business uncertainty; weak consumer financial conditions; and much else.
經過80年來最嚴重、至今仍在造成艱難困境的經濟低迷之後,目前美國經濟前景之複雜性和不確定性是我成年以來所僅見,從而給政策制定者和市場營造了一個艱難的決策環境。在較短時間內實現健康復蘇並非不切實際。然而,我們面臨巨大的不利因素:失業率高企和就業成長緩慢;財政需求下降和不可持續的鉅額聯邦赤字;產能過剩;企業面臨不確定性;消費者財務狀況疲弱;不一而足。