But some hard-hit markets in the U.S. have begun to show signs of recovery.

WSJ: Betting on Vegas Comeback

The home side were stunned, with Rovers defending their lead with ease, and it was only towards the end of the first half that Grant's men began to show signs of recovery.

BBC: West Ham 1-1 Blackburn

The economic and financial crisis has led to the loss of millions of U.S. jobs, and while the economy is beginning to show signs of recovery, millions of Americans remain unemployed or underemployed.

WHITEHOUSE: Executive Order 13534 - National Export Initiative

Now, as the housing industry has begun to show signs of a recovery, Norfolk Southern looks to benefit as it is a major bulk shipper for construction materials.

FORBES: Norfolk Southern Chugs To $78 On Natural Gas And Housing Recovery

The stressed environment may have put a damper on the investor response to retail companies, who continue to wait for the consumer economy to show stronger signs of recovery.

FORBES: Holiday Sales Winners And Losers: Macy's, J.C. Penney

Leading indicators of economic well-being are beginning to show important signs of a recovery.

FORBES: Bernanke Still Pouring Shots Of QE To Markets Already Drunk On Liquidity

Mark Zandi, chief economist and cofounder of Moody's Economy.com, says he expects manufacturing and distribution centers (think Atlanta and Dallas) to show the first signs of life as the recovery unfolds this year.

FORBES: Boomtowns

The signs of a recovery in Lake Las Vegas show that the housing-market improvements that first appeared this year in many city centers and core neighborhoods are beginning to be seen in outlying areas.

WSJ: Green Shoots in the Las Vegas Desert

Never mind that everyone from the Wall Street to the Congressional Budget Office has made it abundantly clear that choosing this moment to allow huge cuts to the defense and entitlement budgets will slam the brakes on the recovery just as the economy is beginning to show true signs of advancement.

FORBES: The Sequester-The Ultimate Betrayal Of The GOP Base