US economy contracts 2.9 percent in Q1

The US economy shrank at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the first quarter of this year, the worst performance since 2009, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The figure was revised down from the last estimation of minus 1 percent because the increase in personal consumption expenditures was smaller than previously estimated while the decline in exports was larger than previously estimated, Xinhua reported citing the department.

Personal consumption expenditures only increased by 1 percent, much lower than the previous estimation of 3.1 percent, while exports decreased 8.9 percent, worse than the 6 percent estimated last time.

In the fourth quarter last year, the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.6 percent.