Wall Street Journal (01/30/14) Sarah Portlock; Jonathan House

Buoyed in part by an improving labor market, gross domestic product grew at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The rate was in line with forecasts by economists surveyed by Dow Jones. The last time the economy grew by an annual rate of 3.0% or more was prior to the recession, when it topped a 3.4% pace in 2005.

The GDP rate in the second half of 2013 was 3.7%, significantly higher than the 1.8% rate seen in the first half of the year. In 2012, GDP grew at an annual rate of 2.8%. The U.S. Federal Reserve says the economy will grow between 2.8% and 3.2% this year.