It's been nearly six years since the official end of the Great Recession. Now, finally, Americans have reasons to feel upbeat about their financial prospects. Key economic indicators are signalling progress for the US economy

1. The Economic Rebound

2. It’s been nearly six years since the official end of the Great
Recession. Now, finally Americans have reasons to feel upbeat
about their financial prospects. Key economic indicators are signally
progress for the US economy. Let’s take a look at some of them:
First is the employment picture. More than one million jobs were
created from November 2014 through January 2015 – the best three-
month stretch since 1997. That’s 18 years ago. The unemployment
rate also improved to 5.7% in January 2015 from a post-Recession
peak of 10% in October 2009.
Next is consumer confidence. Household spending accounts for
more than two-thirds of US economic activity, so the average
consumer’s willingness and ability to spend are critical factors. During
the fourth quarter of 2014 consumer spending grew at the fastest
pace in more than eight years. In January 2015 the consumer
confidence index, a measure of how confident consumers feel
about their finances and prospects for the future, exceeded
economists’ expectations and surged to its highest level since 2007.
Finally, let’s look at housing. Housing numbers can be an important
economic indicator because a healthy housing market tends to
boost employment and positively impact local businesses. Home
buyers often need to purchase appliances, furnishing and other
home goods and services. In January 2015 housing starts improved
18-7% year-over-year to an annual rate of just over one million.
Though this number is down from the 2.3 million housing starts in 2006,
it’s up from under half-a-million starts in 2009. The national median
existing-house price rose 5.8% in 2014 to $208,500 – the highest since
2007.

3. Government officials and business leaders rely on economic data to
monitor the health of the US economy and inform public policy and
business decisions. Economic reports can also help investors assess
current and future investment opportunities. Keep in mind that many
factors have the potential to affect economic growth, so it may not
be wise to put too much stock in any one report.
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