The economy continued to grow during the first quarter, but the rate of growth is not fast enough to make up for the recession's losses.

Last quarter, national output grew at a rate of 3.2 percent. It increased 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, and 2.2 percent in the third quarter of that year.

Consumer spending was the biggest boost to the growth. Spending grew by 3.6 percent for the first half of the year. For the three months before then, it grew by 1.6 percent.