Growth Slows to 1.5 Percent

We’re not impressed. The government said Friday that U.S. economic growth slowed to 1.5 percent in the second quarter, beating analyst expectations of 1.4 percent annual growth, but still a meager showing, as factory orders slowed and shoppers held on to their dollars. Along with the growth measurements, the Commerce Department put out adjusted figures on Friday that showed that the recession was less severe in 2009, 2010, and 2011 than was shown by prior reports. Friday’s numbers show a slowdown in the economic recovery from the first quarter, when there was an overall growth rate of 2 percent.