If they don't step up their spending, the argument goes, the recovery will stall, and the rest of us will suffer too.

He added, "The Fed will need more evidence than it now has that the recovery is stalling before making any further moves."

But it's also still possible, and I'd say about equally likely, that the recovery will stall.

Some economists said the news was a further sign that the economic recovery had stalled.

The increase raised concern that an economic recovery could stall.

Indeed, the latest readings suggest that our recovery, such as it is, may be stalling.

But by last fall, the recovery had stalled, and now it is clearly "struggling."

An economic recovery, which started the middle of 1991, has stalled, according to latest government statistics, largely reflecting conditions in the United States.

"People are losing their jobs, they aren't spending, government is cutting back and the recovery has stalled," he said.

Finally, the national recovery has stalled a couple of times before and could do so again.