We have seen a shaken economy rise to its feet.

The nation has lost 2.9 jobs million since January 2001, just before the last recession began, the longest such stretch of pain since World War II. Nearly 800,000 of those jobs have disappeared since the recession ended in November 2001. Manufacturing shed 26,000 jobs in December - the 41st straight month of falling factory payrolls.

Two years ago President Bush's economic team projected that the nation would add more than 3 million jobs by the end of 2003.
By David Westphal -- Bee Washington Bureau Chief - January 26, 2004