Relatively steady U.S. economic numbers—including a robust report on consumer spending from the Commerce Department—haven’t calmed the markets. Maurice Obstfeld, the retiring chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, said earlier this month the U.S. will likely feel a drag from the global downdraft . “For the rest of the world there seems to be some air coming out of the balloon and that, I think, will come back and also affect the U.S.,” he said. The divergence between the U.S. and much of the rest of the world has become increasingly pronounced in recent months. Other reports on the U.S. economy showed worker pay rose a sturdy 2.9% in the third quarter, and November was a strong month for industrial production , driven by heavy use of utilities due to cold weather. Analysts marked up their forecasts for the U.S. economy. The Atlanta Fed’s closely watched […]