The jobless recovery also led economists to debate the extent to which the lack of hiring overall and the continued decline in manufacturing jobs specifically represented structural changes, that is, changes that were not likely to be reversed as the recovery strengthened.
In addition, the decelerating growth in mortgage advances, as reported by banks, bottomed out in December 2009 and started to show signs of an upward trend. The business operations of non-residential building contractors were, however, still constrained by a lack of demand for building work. The household sector experienced some financial strain as job losses constrained disposable income.