US GDP growth falls short of expectations

Voters grapple with inflation as Harris, Trump run final leg of presidential race

WASHINGTON — US economic growth undershot analyst expectations in the third quarter, according to government data released on Wednesday, weighing on voters before the presidential election.

GDP of the United States expanded at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the July-September period, helped by consumption and government spending, slowing from the second quarter's 3 percent pace, the Department of Commerce said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the US economy advancing at a 3 percent pace.

The GDP estimate was published less than a week before Election Day on Nov 5, with Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party candidate, up against former president Donald Trump.