Pandemic hits U.S. economy directly

Under the impact of the epidemic, Goldman Sachs lowered its forecast for U.S. economic growth this year to 3.4% from 3.8%.

Goldman Sachs analysis pointed out that a large number of labor infections will exacerbate labor and supply chain shortages. Companies may raise wages one after another to retain employees, and wage increases are still expected for wage earners.

Goldman Sachs lowered its economic growth forecast mainly due to the increased spread of the Omicron variant, coupled with the market's lower expectations for fiscal stimulus.

In a Wall Street Journal survey this month, dozens of people from business, academia and finance lowered their forecast for U.S. economic growth in the first quarter of this year to 3 percent, down sharply from 4.2 percent in a similar survey in October last year. 1.2 percentage points, reflecting the decline of market participants' confidence in the U.S. economic outlook this year.