The U.S. economy slowed in the final three months of last year to an annual growth rate of 2.6%. That was the slowest pace since the beginning of 2018, as the government shutdown and other economic factors took a toll on growth.
GDP growth in the October-December quarter was down from a 3.4 per cent gain in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The government cited slower consumer spending as the biggest factor in the slowdown. The 35-day government shutdown took out estimated 0.1% from growth in the fourth quarter. GDP growth for all of 2018 came in at 2.9 per cent, the best showing since 2015.