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アメリカ商務省が発表した７－９月期の実質国内総生産(GDP)は、年率換算で前期比3.5%増となりました。金融危機を発端に戦後最長の景気後退が改善に転じたとの見方が広がっています。しかし政府が低燃費車への買い替え助成など景気刺激策による効果も大きいと見られ、景気上昇は緩やかなカーブが推測されます。
消費者の購買意欲はまだ控えめであり、それは「雇用情勢の悪化」が原因と言われます。アメリカの９月の失業率は9.8%という26年ぶりの高水準に達し、10%台に至ることも推測されます。失業者数1500万人超という過去最悪の数字がある限り、手放しで喜べる状態ではないですね。
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オバマ大統領も慎重に言葉を選びながら述べていますね。
Now, economic growth is no substitute for job growth. And we will likely see further job losses in the coming days, a fact that is both troubling for our economy and heartbreaking for the men and women who suddenly find themselves out of work.
経済成長は仕事の増加に取って代わるものではありません。そして今まで以上の失業者の数字を近日中に確認することにもなりそうです。それは突然職を失う人々にとって胸の張り裂けそうなことであり経済への打撃でもあります。
But we will not create the jobs we need unless the economy is growing; that’s why this GDP report is a good sign. And we can see clearly now that the steps my administration is taking are making a difference, blunting the worst of this recession and helping to bring about its conclusion.
しかし経済の成長が無ければ仕事の増加も発生しません。だからこそGDPの数字が好転したのは良い兆候といえます。そして政府が着手してきた政策（景気刺激策）が、このリセッション（景気後退）の最悪の状態を脱するのに貢献してきたことは明白になってきています。
具体的には中小企業への融資改善、住宅ローン補助、現在、赤字の州への財政補助による公務員（警官、消防士、教員等）の維持など、これらの政策により百万以上の職を確保してきました。そして道路建設、教育機関、医療開発などへの投資により、何十万もの新たな仕事を作り出しました。
These investments aren’t just helping us recover in the short term, they’re helping to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity in the long term.
これらの投資はただ単に短期的な景気回復に貢献するのではなく、長期的な繁栄への新たな基盤作りに貢献するものです。
And in areas like clean energy, we’re creating the jobs of the future 窶骭 jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced.
そして「クリーンエネルギー」のような分野は「未来の仕事」を創出するものであり、これは高い報酬と、他国に下請けに出せない、アメリカ独自の職を生み出します。
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まとめとしてオバマ大統領はこう述べています。経済成長の数字は、職の確保が無ければ殆ど意味が無いものとも言えます。現在我々が直面している経済危機は長年の蓄積によるものであり、それを数ヶ月で抜け出せるものではありません。しかし我々は必ず最終的にそれを実行していきます。
我々の目指す経済はクレジットカードの過大な与信や、投機行為に景気の上下が左右されるものではなく、アメリカの中産階級に共有されるしっかりした揺るぎない強固な基盤に支えられるものです。その目標に向かって我々は毎日取り組み、それを達成するまで決してストップすることはありません。
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今後の失業率の数字も気になりますが、こうして国家のリーダーが国民へのメッセージを明確にし、精神的に鼓舞し続けている姿を一種羨ましくも感じられます。
以下演説の全文；
Each week, I’ve spoken with you about the challenges we face as a nation and the path we must take to meet them. And the truth is, over the past ten months, I’ve often had to report distressing news during what has been a difficult time for our country. But today, I am pleased to offer some better news that 窶骭 while not cause for celebration 窶骭 is certainly reason to believe that we are moving in the right direction.
On Thursday, we received a report on our Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. This is an important measure of our economy as a whole, one that tells us how much we are producing and how much businesses and families are earning. We learned that the economy grew for the first time in more than a year and faster than at any point in the previous two years. So while we have a long way to go before we return to prosperity, and there will undoubtedly be ups and downs along the road, it’s also true that we’ve come a long way. It is easy to forget that it was only several months ago that the economy was shrinking rapidly and many economists feared another Great Depression.
Now, economic growth is no substitute for job growth. And we will likely see further job losses in the coming days, a fact that is both troubling for our economy and heartbreaking for the men and women who suddenly find themselves out of work. But we will not create the jobs we need unless the economy is growing; that’s why this GDP report is a good sign. And we can see clearly now that the steps my administration is taking are making a difference, blunting the worst of this recession and helping to bring about its conclusion.
We’ve acted aggressively to jumpstart credit for families and businesses, including small businesses, which have seen an increase in lending of 73 percent. We’ve taken steps to stem the tide of foreclosures, modifying mortgages to help hundreds of thousands of responsible homeowners keep their homes and help millions more sustain the value in their homes. And the Recovery Act is spurring demand through a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, and through assistance for seniors and those who have lost jobs 窶骭 which not only helps folks hardest hit by the downturn, but also encourages the consumer spending that will help turn the economy around.
Finally, the Recovery Act is saving and creating jobs all across the country. Just this week, we reached an important milestone. Based on reports coming in from across America 窶骭 as shovels break ground, as needed public servants are rehired, and as factories whir to life 窶骭 it is clear that the Recovery Act has now created and saved more than one million jobs. That’s more than a million people who might otherwise be out of work today 窶骭 folks who can wake up each day knowing that they’ll be able to provide for themselves and their families.
We’ve saved jobs by closing state budget shortfalls to prevent the layoffs of hundreds of thousands of police officers, firefighters, and teachers who are today on the beat, on call, and in the classroom because of the Recovery Act. And we’ve also created hundreds of thousands of jobs through the largest investment in our roads since the building of the interstate highways, and through the largest investments in education, medical research, and clean energy in history.
These investments aren’t just helping us recover in the short term, they’re helping to lay a new foundation for lasting prosperity in the long term 窶骭 and they’re giving hardworking, middle-class Americans the chance to succeed and raise a family. Because of the investments we’ve made and the steps we’ve taken, it’s easier for middle-class families to send their kids to college and get the training and skills they need to compete in a global economy. We’re making it easier for these families to save for retirement. And in areas like clean energy, we’re creating the jobs of the future 窶骭 jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced.
In fact, just this week, I traveled to Arcadia, Florida to announce the largest set of clean energy projects through the Recovery Act so far: one hundred grants for businesses, utilities, manufacturers, cities and other partners across the country to put thousands of people to work modernizing our electric grid 窶骭 the system that provides power to our homes and businesses 窶骭 so that it wastes less energy, helps integrate renewables like wind and solar, and saves consumers money. And that’s just one example.
So, we have made progress. At the same time, I want to emphasize that there’s still plenty of progress to be made. For we know that positive news for the economy as a whole means little if you’ve lost your job and can’t find another, if you can’t afford health care or the mortgage, if you do not see in your own life the improvement we are seeing in these economic statistics. And positive news today does not mean there won’t be difficult days ahead. As I’ve said many times, it took years to dig our way into the crisis we’ve faced. It will take more than a few months to dig our way out. But make no mistake: that’s exactly what we will do.
For the economy we seek is one where folks who need a job can find one and incomes are rising again. The economy we seek is one where small businesses can flourish and entrepreneurs can get the capital they need to plant new seeds of growth. The economy we seek is one that’s no longer based on maxed out credits cards, wild speculation, and the old cycles of boom or bust 窶骭 but rather one that’s built on a solid foundation, supporting growth that is strong, sustained, and broadly shared by middle class families across America. That is what we are working toward every single day. And we will not stop until we get there.
Thank you. And Happy Halloween.
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