According to a report from the Labor Department, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, to the lowest point in four years. Personal income rose, as well as manufacturing activity. The number of unemployment applications has been declining since October. Economists say that this is a good sign that the economy is slowly recovering, though they caution that it will take time to fully recover.
See "U.S. Jobless Claims Remain at 4-Year Low", The Associated Press, The New York Times, February 29, 2012