Over the last 18 quarters, annualized growth in real consumer demand has averaged a mere 0.7%, compared to a 3.6% growth trend in the decade before the crisis erupted. Never before has the American consumer been this weak for this long.
与危机爆发前10年3.6%的增长趋势相比，过去18个季度实际消费需求的年均增长率仅有可怜的0.7%。美国消费者还从未有过如此长时间的弱势记录。