The United States economy has recorded solid growth in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the latest GDP data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The U.S. economy grew by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, more than expected even as recession fears loom.

This growth was driven by increases in consumer spending, business investment, and government spending. Consumer spending rose 3.4%, business investment rose 1.4%, and government spending rose 0.3%. Inflation also rose during the quarter, reaching an annual rate of 1.5%, the highest level since 2012.

The strong growth in the fourth quarter is a positive sign for the U.S. economy, which has been struggling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic caused a sharp decline in economic activity in the first half of 2020, and the recovery has been slow.

However, experts caution that the economic recovery is fragile and could be derailed by a resurgence of the virus or other unforeseen events. The labor market remains weak, with the unemployment rate still above 6%. In addition, the lack of additional stimulus from Congress could also put a damper on economic growth.

Despite these concerns, the U.S. economy is still on track to record its strongest growth since the Great Recession. The strong fourth quarter GDP data is a sign that the economy is recovering from the pandemic and is poised for further growth in 2021.

Experts are optimistic that the U.S. economy will continue to grow in the coming quarters, but they caution that the recovery could be derailed by a second wave of the virus or other unforeseen events.