Until they do, the incipient recovery will have no legs.

"But no one knows whether this incipient recovery is for real."

The result of these efforts, combined with incipient Asian recovery, has been a sharp fall in steel imports.

In late 1991 and early 1992 when there were signs of strength, stock prices rose, but then the incipient recovery faltered.

But the incipient recovery is uneven and none of the states are back to their peak employment levels of the late 1980's.

In addition, Japan reported this month that its economy was experiencing an "incipient recovery" driven by capital spending.

He said the state's incipient economic recovery would be crushed by the measure.

Higher yields mean higher interest rates, which can extinguish any incipient recovery.

Still, many economists were optimistic that the incipient recovery would sustain its momentum.

In its monthly report, the government said the economy was "showing movement toward an incipient recovery."