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WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama said on Thursday that new data showing a return to growth meant the US recession was abating but cautioned that a long road to full economic recovery lay ahead.
Obama responded to government figures showing 3.5 percent growth in gross domestic product, the strongest performance by the economy in two years, as government stimulus efforts boosted consumer spending.
"This is obviously welcome news and an affirmation that this recession is abating and the steps we've taken have made a difference," Obama said, in an advance copy of a speech he was to give later on Thursday.
"But I also know that we have a long way to go to fully restore our economy, and recover from what has been the longest and deepest downturn since the Great Depression," Obama said.
"While this report today represents real progress, the benchmark I use to measure the strength of our economy is not just whether our GDP is growing, but whether we are creating jobs, whether families are having an easier time paying their bills, whether our businesses are hiring and doing well." - AFP/de
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