<Anchor> The



US economy recorded its worst performance in 74 years last year due to Corona 19.

There is also a forecast that it will record 5% growth this year, but it remains to be seen whether it will recover to the previous level.



In New York, correspondent Kim Jong-won reports.



<Reporter>



Last year, the US gross domestic product and GDP growth rate recorded negative 3.5%.



It is the worst performance in 74 years since 1946, right after World War II.



The economic situation in the United States has fluctuated due to the corona situation.



In the second quarter, when the corona was severe, it recorded the worst economic growth rate in history, exceeding minus 31%, and recovered more than 33% after the corona slowed in the third quarter.



However, with the re-proliferation of the corona in winter, the rapidly recovering economy ended the year without recovering its pre-corona condition with only 4% growth.



The key is the situation this year.



The Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States, analyzed that the growth rate in the first quarter of this year was recovering steadily, but made it clear that there is a long way to go due to poor employment indicators.



[Jerom Powell/President of the US Federal Reserve System: Overall, the current economic situation is at a lower level than before the coronavirus outbreak.

The road ahead of us is also uncertain.

As I said before, there is still a long way to go to full recovery.]



It seems that it will take time for the real economy sectors hit by the corona direct hit, such as leisure and catering, to recover, and analysis is emerging that the economy will recover to pre-corona levels only by 2024.