Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

Best’s Special Report: U.S. Economy Starts 2025 on Solid Ground

The U.S. economy continues to outperform expectations and has entered 2025 on firm footing, according to a new AM Best report.

According to the Best’s Special Report, “U.S. Economy Starts 2025 on Solid Ground,” the country’s gross domestic product continues to grow based in part on healthy consumer spending, strong corporate profits, slowing inflation and a more accommodative monetary policy. The likelihood of a recession has declined markedly and in December 2024, business optimism reached its highest level in six years.

“Consumer sentiment started inching up during the latter part of 2024, but lower-income households are still at risk,” said Ann Modica, director, AM Best. “Consumer and fiscal spending were the main drivers of U.S. growth in 2024 and are expected to remain strong in 2025.”

According to the report, the GDP registered growth in each quarter for an annualized rate of 2.5% during 2024. The U.S. Federal Reserve projects GDP growth to slow to 2.1% in 2025 but expects the country to outperform other advanced economies.

A solid job market and increases in real wage growth supported consumer spending in 2024. The Federal government spent USD 6.8 trillion during the fiscal year, or approximately 25% of total GDP, with the majority going to entitlement programs, national defense, and interest expense.

Despite the unlikelihood of a recession over the next 12 months, a considerable number of uncertainties cloud the outlook. New proposals for deregulation and tax cuts may support growth, but they also have the potential to re-accelerate inflation. Additionally, tariffs on imports would also be inflationary. Higher-than-expected inflation would complicate the Fed’s monetary policy outlook and has the potential to lead to a rate pause — at the very minimum — or additional rate hikes, according to the report.

To access the full copy of this report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=351187.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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