The U.S. economy grew at a brisk 5 percent annual rate last summer

The U.S. economy grew at a brisk 5 percent annual rate last summer
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The U.S. economy grew by a robust five percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2014, the Commerce Department announced Tuesday. That's the fastest growth since the summer of 2003, and a sharp upward revision from the 3.9 percent growth the department initially estimated for the July-September quarter.

Coming on the heels of a strong 4.6 percent annual growth in the second quarter of the year, this number suggests the economy may finally be returning to a pre-recession norm.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.