CBO: US could dive over 'fiscal cliff,' may improve debt outlook but cause recession

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - If the so-called fiscal cliff takes effect in 2013, the U.S. deficit outlook will improve, but scheduled tax increases and spending cuts would push the country into recession and unemployment up to 9%.

That's one of the main takeaways from an analysis Wednesday by the Congressional Budget Office, which released its updated budget and economic projections for 2012 through 2022.

The fiscal cliff is made up of an enormous amount of tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect starting in 2013.

Among them, the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the enactment of $1 trillion in automatic, across the board spending cuts that are being triggered because Congress has failed to come up with an alternative debt-reduction plan. If all the policies are allowed to go into effect, the CBO projects that the economy, as measured by GDP, will shrink by 0.5% between the fourth quarter of this year and the fourth quarter of next year. Unemployment, currently 8.3%, will rise to 9% in the second half of 2013.

This morning on "Early Start," Christine Romans explains the CBO report and it's dire warnings for the US economy.

READ MORE: Fiscal cliff to improve debt outlook but cause recession