The economy slowed in the last 3 months of the year — but was still solid in 2025

The U.S. economy grew 2.2% in 2025, a modest slowdown from 2.4% the previous year. GDP gains were fueled by solid consumer spending and business investment.

Why This Matters

The U.S. economy's modest slowdown in the final quarter of 2025 is a timely reminder of the ongoing balancing act between growth and stability. Despite a 2.2% GDP growth rate, the economy remains solid, driven by consumer spending and business investment. This development is crucial to understand as policymakers navigate the current economic landscape.

In Week 8 2026, Economy accounted for 24 related article(s), with UK Politics setting the broader headline context. Coverage of Economy increased by 6 article(s) versus the prior week, signaling growing editorial attention.

Coverage Snapshot

Week 8 2026 included 24 Economy article(s). Leading outlets for this topic included CNBC, Independent, Independent Business. Across that cluster, sentiment showed a mostly neutral skew (avg score -0.05).

Key Insights

Primary keywords: economy, solid, investment, slowdown, previous.
Topic focus: Economy coverage with neutral sentiment.
Source context: reported by NPR Business.
Published: 2026-02-20.
Published by NPR Business, a widely cited major outlet.
Date context: published during Week 8 2026, when UK Politics dominated weekly headlines.

Tone & Sentiment

The article tone is classified as neutral, driven by the language and emphasis in the summary. The sentiment score of 0.03 indicates the strength of that tone.

Context

The economy's performance in 2025 has been a subject of interest among economists and media outlets. While some analysts have expressed concerns about the slowdown, others have pointed to the resilience of consumer spending and business investment. NPR Business and other outlets have highlighted the economy's solid foundation, with many experts cautioning against overreacting to the slowdown. The broader trend suggests a continued focus on economic stability and growth.

Related Topics

Economy

Key Takeaway

In short, this article underscores key movement in Economy and explains why it matters now.

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NPR Business The economy slowed in the last 3 months of the year — but was still solid in 2025