It's almost official: Recession over

Jay Fitzgerald reporting on the Federal Reserve's Beige Book release highlighting slight economic improvement, particularly in New England.

The Boston district is seeing minor economic gains in a number of sectors.

“Retailers, manufacturers, and software and IT service providers, while still reporting mixed results, are more confident about their companies’ and the economy’s eventual recovery,” the report said.

A sign that some businesses might be ready to start hiring, at least part-time workers, would be found in interviews with temp firms, the report said. “Staffing firms cite an uptick in activity,” the report said.

The number of residential homes sold has increased, though overall prices continue to fall, the report said. One big sore spot is commercial real estate, which remains “very soft.”