Don’t Be Fooled by the GDP Hype—The Economic Engine Is Sputtering Beneath the Surface

You might’ve seen the headlines: “U.S. GDP Soars 3% in Q2!” Wall Street cheered, and the usual media mouthpieces wasted no time in declaring the economy’s back on track. But I’ve been around long enough to know that not everything that glitters is gold—or in this case, real growth. Let’s talk about what’s really going on here. The Illusion of Growth The U.S. economy appears to have rebounded strongly, with second-quarter GDP clocking in at a 3% increase. That’s a big jump from the first quarter's 0.5% dip, and higher than the 2.5% most economists were expecting. But don’t pop the champagne just yet. That growth number isn’t being driven by productive expansion or booming industry. It’s largely the result…