A contraction is the phase of the business cycle when the economy declines, often with falling real GDP and rising unemployment, moving from peak toward trough (expansion, peak, contraction, trough).

Clay Halton was a Business Editor at Investopedia and has been working in the finance publishing field for more than five years. He also writes and edits personal finance content, with a focus on ...

Ameyavikram Pathak is Chief Executive Officer of investment management firm AVP Holdings and member of the Finance Committee of the Princeton Foundation for Peace and Learning. Armen Baibourtian is ...

What is an economic supercycle? An economic supercycle typically refers to a prolonged period of expansion, which can last as long as a few decades. Opinions vary among economists as to the exact ...