Have you heard? Economy-watchers (and incumbent office-holders) are saying the U.S. economy added nearly two million jobs in the past 15 months. Why focus on 15 months?

Compared to a year ago, jobs increased in 44 states, according to April figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of states adding jobs dipped from the 48 that posted employment gains in March.

With the absence of normal drivers of growth (consumers, construction, credit creation), economy watchers have become increasingly pessimistic. Based on employment gains so far this year, many analysts hoped to see a somewhat stronger figure than what the economy delivered for Q1 GDP growth.

The aerospace and defense industry is an established engine of growth in Arizona, contributing $8.8 billion to the state economy and providing almost 100,000 jobs.

The Economic Confidence Quiz has become a tradition at the annual mid-year Economic Outlook Luncheon hosted by the Economic Club of Phoenix. Here's your chance to test your economic acumen. How confident are you that you understand background facts on economic issues?

While the nation's economy showed some significant signs of life in the first half of 2011, the state's economy continues to bounce along the bottom.

When you compare employment numbers in February 2011 to February 2010, Arizona added 20,000 jobs in certain sectors that posted job growth.

Listen or read: The state received discouraging words recently about last year's employment numbers and about population growth over the last decade.Retail sales showed a glimmer of hope, however, and unemployment appears to be stabilizing. Economist Dennis Hoffman of the L.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the main challenge facing the U.S. and its trading partners was a return to growth. After these economies improved in 2010, the outlook now for the main trading partners of the U.S.

The Great Recession ended in the second quarter of 2009, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Nonetheless, public perception of the health of the economy remains gloomy many months later.