home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
TIME: Almanac 1990
/
1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
/
time
/
071789
/
07178900.002
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1990-09-17
|
856b
|
17 lines
BUSINESS, Page 77Business NotesTHE DOLLAROnce a Rocket, Now a Rock
As the U.S. dollar comes down from its recent flight of fancy,
will the fall be dangerously fast? Only a month ago, the currency
was rising so relentlessly that economists were concerned that its
strength would worsen the trade deficit by making U.S. exports too
costly. That fear seemed misplaced last week as the dollar plunged
to a level some 7.5% below its mid-June highs, closing the week at
1.87 deutsche marks and 139 yen.
The reeling dollar reflected fears of recession. The Federal
Reserve Board appears ready to spur the economy by letting interest
rates fall, but that could further undermine the dollar by making
U.S. investments less attractive to foreigners. Unemployment
reached 5.3% in June, up from 5.2% in May, another sign of a
slowdown.