Chile's Economy Grows for Second Month as Recovery Gathers Pace.

Chile's economy has experienced growth for the second consecutive month, indicating a gradual recovery. The Imacec index, a measure of gross domestic product, increased by 0.8% in February compared to the previous month. Although this was slightly lower than expected, January's growth was revised higher to 2%. The central bank reported a 4.5% increase in the index compared to the previous year. The government maintains a growth forecast of 2.5% for this year, which is above the Latin American average. Sectors such as manufacturing and retail are improving, and mining activity increased by 2.5% in February. The central bank is expected to continue lowering interest rates to support the recovery. Retail sales, manufacturing, and industrial production also showed faster year-on-year growth in February than anticipated, although unemployment increased to 8.5%. [Extracted from the article]