GDP grew at an annual rate of just 1.8% in the first quarter of 2011, much slower than the 3.1% in the fourth quarter of 2010 or the 2.6% growth in the quarter before that. At the same time, unemployment claims have increased to 429,000, above the 399,000 mark that is usually associated with steady job creation.
This Friday, the non-farm payroll jobs numbers will come out. It is expected that that number will be around 190,000. I wouldnt be surprised if that number came out much lower than that.
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