April 27, 2020
Kevin Hassett, senior advisor to President Trump, says we’re going to see unemployment rates similar to what we saw during the Great Depression, but the White House has a plan for an economic comeback. As Hasset notes: due to various relief programs the overall worker income is still consistent, but outputs from income are non-existent.
In this interview with CNBC Hassett estimates the current unemployment rate at 16 to 17 percent; & the likely result of the second quarter GDP around -20 to -30 percent. Hassett notes the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) has several challenges as they attempt to quantify economic activity during the shut-down. However, those are stunning numbers.
