Economy Struggles To Recover From Sept. 11Economy Struggles To Recover From Sept. 11

The economic outlook appears to be recovering slightly from its September setback, though it still hasn't returned to where it was in the months before Sept. 11, according to a closely watched economic indicator. The U.S. leading index, published last week by the Conference Board, rose 0.3% in October. The index tracks 10 factors that tend to rise before the overall economy, and thus hints at where the economy is headed. Supplier performance was the strongest of the seven indicators that rose. Lower employment and slowing construction and manufacturing levels held the index back.