Barack Obama says the economic growth shows his policies work. (Creative Commons)

The United States' economy continues to grow, reaching 2 percent growth over the last quarter.

Official data shows that the American economy's growth – previously at 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter –  gives the United States its 13th consecutive quarter of growth, following the economic collapse that triggered the global recession. Bloomberg reported that the numbers exceeded the median expected growth rate of 1.8 percent.

According to the data, increased consumer spending contributed to the growth, in particular demand for homes and cars. The economy also benefited from a 13 percent boost in defense spending. The Pentagon faces the possibility heavy cuts due to sequestration, which would hurt the government budget in the next year.

Economic growth was countered by rising costs in gas as well as a decline in business investments, which had risen last quarter.

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Next Friday will see the monthly job numbers update. Last month saw unemployment drop to its lowest level in years, falling to 7.8 percent.

The news of the economy's growth comes 11 days before the presidential election. Campaigning in Iowa, Republican candidate Mitt Romney said the economic numbers weren't great, and that President Barack Obama's plans to have wealthy Americans pay higher taxes would not help the economy continue to recover.

“This is not the time to double down on trickle-down government policies that have failed us,” Romney said at his rally, according to Bloomberg.

Obama, campaigning in Ohio last night, argued that Romney's economic policies are the same as George W. Bush's, and are proven to fail.

Ohio, which remains a contested swing state, saw its unemployment rate nearly double due to the recession, rising to 10.6 percent by the end of 2009. It has dropped since then, standing at 7 percent in September.

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of the economy here.

Reach Executive Producer Nicholas Slayton here. Follow him here.