The International Monetary Fund predicts that the government shutdown will slow down US economic growth in the fourth quarter

Washington, November 13 (Xinhua) -- International Monetary Fund spokesperson Julie Kozak said on the 13th that the "shutdown" of the US federal government will have a negative impact on the economy, and it is expected that the US economic growth rate in the fourth quarter of this year will be lower than the previously predicted 1.9%.

Kozak said at a press conference that the US economy has shown resilience in the past few years, but is currently facing increasing pressure. Domestic demand is weak, and employment growth is also slowing down. Factors such as reduced immigration inflows, tariffs, and broader policy uncertainty have collectively suppressed economic activity in the United States.

She said that the lack of data due to the government shutdown has affected the International Monetary Fund's ability to evaluate the performance of the US economy.

On the evening of the 12th, the US House of Representatives passed the federal government's temporary funding bill, which had previously been approved by the Senate. President Trump subsequently signed the bill, ending the record breaking 43 day shutdown. The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated that a six week shutdown would cause approximately $11 billion in economic losses to the United States.