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).

Will Kenton is an expert on the economy and investing laws and regulations. He previously held senior editorial roles at Investopedia and Kapitall Wire and holds a MA in Economics from The New School ...

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 ...

Many professions commonly use abbreviations. To doctors, accountants, and baseball players, the letters MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), and ERA ...

Gross domestic product (GDP) has long been the main indicator of economic growth used almost everywhere in the world. However, the measurement does not take into account other factors essential to a ...