Washington (AFP)

Consumption at half mast, factories in slow motion: the latest health check of the American economy shows that the recovery remains sluggish, the day after Joe Biden's unveiling of a colossal recovery plan intended to get the country out of the double health crisis and economic.

Christmas gifts and other holiday shopping weren't enough to provide respite for the world's largest economy.

Retail sales fell in December for the third straight month.

However, they are up 2.9% compared to December 2019, but with winners and losers: online merchants saw their sales jump by 19.2%, while bars and restaurants showed a fall of 21.2%.

Breakage is limited throughout the year, despite the pandemic, as sales are 0.6% higher than in 2019, however, this is "the slowest pace since the last recession in 2009 ", notes Yelena Maleyev, economist for Grant Thornton.

Industrial production, meanwhile, recorded its largest increase in five months in December, according to data from the US Federal Reserve.

But this rebound is largely due to the onset of winter, which has driven up demand for heating.

There was "coal in a lot of Christmas socks," Yelena Maleyev summed up.

- Summer economic "mini boom" -

The cases of Covid-19, at still very high levels in the United States, paralyze much of the economic activity.

"The restrictions (...) are much less severe than in Europe but, associated with individual choices to reduce social interactions to avoid infections, they were enough to destroy the hotel and leisure sectors", detail the Pantheon Macroeconomics analysts in a note.

"The drop in retail sales shows once again that government largesse was and must continue to be the mainstay of the economy," according to economist Joel Naroff.

Federal government aid was slow to be renewed.

It was only at the end of December that elected Democrats and Republicans in Congress managed to agree on a $ 900 billion plan.

A "down payment" for Joe Biden, who is due to take office at the White House on January 20, and on Thursday presented a new emergency plan of 1.9 trillion dollars.

If passed by Congress, households will be able to count on a new check for $ 1,400 per person, and the unemployed will have a bit of a break and have their benefits paid out as needed.

As for the schools, still largely closed, preventing many women from working, funds are provided to ensure their reopening.

"Help is coming", assured the President of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on Friday morning at a press conference.

This emergency plan "could increase the chances of seeing a + mini boom + (economic) this summer", anticipates Oren Klachkin.

- Made in America -

In the meantime, 2021 is not getting off to a good start, with consumer confidence even declining in January, according to the preliminary estimate from the University of Michigan survey.

Manufacturing activity in the New York area also started the year slow, according to the Fed's Empire State monthly indicator.

And, with more than 10 million Americans already vaccinated against Covid-19, it will take time for the economy to recover.

"More than 110,000 restaurants have permanently closed their doors since the start of the pandemic, according to a representative of the sector," Yelena Maleyev added.

Joe Biden's contingency plan will be followed by a stimulus package, which he said he wants to present in the coming weeks, to create the “millions” of “well-paid” manufacturing jobs promised during the campaign.

To evoke this green recovery, which should allow the United States to accelerate the energy transition, Joe Biden adopted the rhetoric of Made in America, dear to Donald Trump.

"Imagine a future: + made in America +, + entirely made in America and entirely by Americans," said the president-elect Thursday evening.

© 2021 AFP