The US economy is recovering and it isn’t. There are many conflicting stories because the economy is not one thing, but the collection of many things. Regional and industrial differences mean parts of the US are recovering while others are in recession (or close to it). The closer you are to the West and the South, and to technology the better the growth, housing market, and job market. Weather swings played a role, especially the harsh winter in the Northeast, which may be a hint of what may happen if the Southwest’s drought continues. US GDP fell for the first time in about five years, but this time it wasn’t uniformly felt.
(Click on the map for the link.)