A contraction is the phase of the business cycle when the economy declines, often with falling real GDP and rising unemployment, moving from peak toward trough (expansion, peak, contraction, trough).

Learn how economic forecasting uses GDP, inflation, and key indicators to project future economic trends and inform business ...

Katelyn Peters has a writer and editor for more than five years who focuses on both investing and personal finance content. In addition to her experience in finance, she is also a volunteer editorial ...

What is an economic supercycle? An economic supercycle typically refers to a prolonged period of expansion, which can last as long as a few decades. Opinions vary among economists as to the exact ...

Ameyavikram Pathak is Chief Executive Officer of investment management firm AVP Holdings and member of the Finance Committee of the Princeton Foundation for Peace and Learning. Armen Baibourtian is ...