The United States is on a slow road to economic recovery that gets longer and longer as consumers spend less.

• Sluggish consumer spending and stagnant personal incomes reflect a slow economy this spring.
• Experts believe that economic growth will lose further momentum in the second half of the year as high unemployment, insecure consumers and renewed troubles in housing continue to plague recovery.
• The rate of economic growth in the United States is about half the pace of what it normally is for a country coming out of a recession.

Facts & Figures

• Consumer spending accounts for 70% of total economic activity.
• The GDP slowed to an annual growth rate of 2.4% in the April-June quarter.