Grim thoughts from the OECD
The increase in oil pricesapproximately 60% since Januarywill send the developed nations into their worst economic slowdown since the first round of OPEC price gouging touched off the 1974-75 recession. So says the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in its semi-annual forecast covering 24 member nations of the industrial world. In the next twelve months, predicts the OECD, their economic growth will average 2%, down from 3.7% last year; their inflation will rise from 7.9% to 10%; and their unemployment may swell from 5.25% to 6%, a postwar record of 19 million people out of work...