Unemployment rate's slow, steady decline —
The unemployment rate has been inching down slowly for several years and currently sits at 7.6%. That's not far from the magic number set by the Federal Reserve. Chairman Ben Bernanke said if unemployment falls to 7% by mid-2014, the Fed will stop its $85 billion monthly bond buying program. The central bank has injected $2.5 trillion into the economy since 2008 to spur economic growth.