U.S. Economy Contracts 6.3%, Profits Decline 16.5% (Shobhana Chandra)

  March 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. economy shrank in the fourth quarter more than previously estimated, leading to the biggest plunge in corporate earnings in a half century and underscoring why companies are slashing payrolls this year.

  Gross domestic product contracted at a 6.3 percent annual rate from October to December, the weakest since 1982, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Profits dropped 16.5 percent from the prior quarter, the most since 1953.

  Another report showed the number of people collecting jobless benefits this month reached a record 5.56 million as firings mounted. Still, recent reports showing a rebound in sales indicate last quarter’s slump may give way to smaller declines in growth. A let-up in the recession would set the stage for President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan and Federal Reserve measures to take hold in the second half.

  “It’s a pretty dismal result,” said Michael Gregory, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto. “Given the slight improvement we’re seeing in some of the recent indicators, I suspect the first quarter will be a little better than the fourth.”

  Read The Entire Story