Episode 269: GDP in Q4 Highlights Pandemic’s Continued Impact on Services Sector

Fourth quarter GDP data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis underscores the continued pressure facing the services sector, although a surge in spending is likely once vaccines bring the pandemic under control, Nareit Senior Economist Calvin Schnure says.Speaking on the REIT Report, Schnure noted that GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2020 slowed to a 4.0% annual rate after a record 33% in the third quarter.Some slowing was inevitable, Schnure said. He noted that a large divergence remains in place between the services and goods sectors, with the decline in services spending accounting for almost all of the decline in fourth quarter GDP compared to before the pandemic.