Research paper 2
Summary of U.S. Economy
High unemployment and slow growth are still the dominant features of the US economy. Growth during 2011 has been at a very slow pace, and slightly improved Q4 figures just released are likely due to temporary factors. While there has been real, if modest job growth in each of the last five monthsi, much of the drop in the official unemployment rate is due to unemployed workers giving up looking for j obs. There is wide agreement that any recovery is likely to be sluggish over the next couple of years. For example, Paul Krugman writes, "...the state of the economy remains terrible... But there are reasons to think that we're finally on the (slow) road to better times."ii
The recovery, at least in terms of economic output, may continue and even strengthen -- eventually. With profits restored at the expense of wages and social benefits1, business investment could continue to increase. With almost no new housing construction and a growing potential demand from multi-family households, there could be a new housing boom at some point.
But there is still a strong possibility, in the immediate future, of a new financial crisis and resumption of the downward economic spiral of 2008-2009. This danger comes from: * The overhang of unpayable household debt, particularly in home mortgagesiii. * The global capitalist crisis, most immediately the European crisis, which can destabilize the US financial system, and will reduce the market for US exports. * Government policy which forced spending cuts at the federal, state and local level, cutting GDP by almost one-half percent in 2011, and are on track to do even more damage in 2012 and future years.iv 2

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/the-us-economic-situation-and-the-2012-elections/

The US economy has created over 100,000 jobs in each of the past seven months, but that