The U.S. economy has been growing for over a year and a half since the 2001 recession, but the rebound has been slower than hoped. Labor markets remain sluggish, while output growth has lagged behind past recoveries. Although some analysts have tried to blame U.S. leaders for this sluggish recovery, it must be emphasized that economic weakness has been a global problem. In fact, many foreign economies have suffered through significantly worse economic setbacks than has the United States. Looking ahead, forecasters see a pickup in growth both here and abroad.