Most Economic Measures Looking Up

Washington, DC, Dec. 6, 2010 -- The economy might be booming if it could begin generating jobs at a more normal pace.

Nearly every other measure of the economy has started to improve. Even housing is showing signs of life.

Factories are busier, incomes are rising, and the holiday shopping season is shaping up as the best in four years. Stock prices are also rising.

Many analysts are raising their forecasts for the economy's growth. Goldman Sachs, for instance, just revised its forecast of a 2% increase in gross domestic product in 2011 to 2.7% and forecast 3.6% growth for 2012.

Nevertheless, employers still aren't hiring freely. The economy added a net total of just 39,000 jobs in November, the government said Friday.

That's not even enough to stabilize the unemployment rate, which rose from 9.6% in October to 9.8% last month. 

Some of the encouraging signs include consumer confidence, which hit it's highest level since June.

Personal incomes increased 0.5% in October.

Holiday shopping is expected to increase 2.3% this year.

Business profits are up and they have a significant stockpile of cash.

Credit conditions are improving.