세계은행, 올 세계성장률 -5.2% 전망…"2차대전 후 최악 침체"<br /><br />The World Bank says it expects the global economy to shrink five-point-two percent this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />Lee Seung-jae reports.<br />In January,... the World Bank forecast 2-point-5 percent growth for the global economy in 2020.<br />Then the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world.<br />On Monday,... the World Bank released its revised outlook for 2020,... forecasting the global economy to shrink 5-point-2 percent.<br />According to the World Bank,... the current crisis is the deepest global recession since World War Two,... and almost three times as bad as the 2009 global recession.<br />Also,... more advanced economies are projected to shrink by 7-percent,... due to widespread of social distancing measures,... a sharp tightening of financial conditions,... and a huge decline in exports.<br />This includes China,... where the COVID-19 outbreak originated.<br />It's projected to see a 1-percent growth this year,... the lowest growth it has registered in more than four decades.<br />However, the World Bank's forecast was made under the assumption that the pandemic recedes by mid-year,... and negative global spillovers ease during the second half of the year.<br />Meanwhile, a group of economists said on Monday,.. that the U.S. economy entered a recession in February,... ending its longest expansion on record.<br />They say the number of employed Americans peaked in February and fell sharply afterwards,... marking the start of the downturn.<br />The definition of a recession according to the economists,... is a "decline in economic activity that lasts more than a few months",... hence their February remark.<br />Despite its gloomy outlook for 2020,... the World Bank expressed optimism that 2021 will see the global economy bounce back,... predicting 4-point-2 percent growth.<br />But other analysts say there won't be a rebound unless a vaccine for COVID-19 is available before the end of the year.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.<br />
