Paul Dales, economist at Capital Economics, said he thought the slowdown would not prove prolonged.

BBC: US retail sales see fall in March

Paul Dales, an economist at Capital Economics, was equally disappointed.

BBC: US economy adds just 88,000 jobs in March

Paul Dales, an economist at the forecasting firm Capital Economics, said the job market appeared to have stabilized at a low level of growth, suggesting it would take a further shock to push the economy back into recession.

WSJ: Jobs Report Revives Fears for Recovery