JUST IN TIME FOR OBAMA, AMERICA'S ECONOMY IS LOOKING UP

摘要

Riting in this space acouple of months ago, I said I was cautiously optimistic about 2012. Well, my caution has greatly diminished. Since Christmas, nearly every economic indicator you can think of has come in stronger than expected: GDP, retail spending, the level of the stock market, and employment growth. January's jobs report, which showed payrolls rising by 243,000 and the unemployment rate drop ping to 8.3%, provided the most dramatic evidence that things are getting better, but it was part of a broader trend. Notwithstanding what is happening in Greece, even the threat from Europe appears to be receding.