An economic decline means that the economy is not growing and it is not as strong as it was previously.
Read this paragraph and answer the question below.
What Do These Numbers Mean?
On June 6th, 2011, prices of U.S. stocks declined in value for five consecutive weeks, the longest slump for the Dow Jones index since 2004. In addition, the slower-than-estimated growth in jobs also increased concern that earnings forecasts were too optimistic. At the end of May, Labor Department figures showed that the U.S. jobless rate had unexpectedly climbed to 9.1 percent. (Adapted from an article in Bloomberg Businessweek).
According to the above extract, which statistics suggest that in June 2011, the American economy was still in a state of decline? Choose 2 correct answers.
