End of Recession May Be Near

The end of the recession may be near, according to two recently released economic indicators. Initial jobless claims fell 14,000 to 384,000 during the week ending Jan. 11, according to the Labor Department, marking the second week in a row of declining jobless figures. Manufacturing activity rose in the Mid-Atlantic region for the first time in more than a year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. These indicators point to a recession at or near the endpoint, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.