Recession is ending, leading indicators say
Indicators of the future direction of the economy improved for the fifth month in a row, signaling that the recession is ending.
The index of leading economic indicators jumped 0.6 percent in August, according to released Wednesday. Five of the 10 indicators rose and three declined. The index is closely watched because it's designed to forecast the state of the economy a few months in advance.
A separate Conference Board index, which measures current economic conditions, was essentially unchanged from its level in June or July.
"These numbers are consistent with the view that after a very severe downturn, a recovery is very near," said Ken Goldstein, economist at the Conference Board, in a release. 鈥淏ut the intensity and pattern of that recovery is more uncertain.鈥�
