The latest U.S. job numbers showed only modest gains, with 148,000 positions added. The unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent. But there is some wage growth, and the stock market has hit record highs.

As 2018 gets underway, there isn’t a general fear of a slowdown or a recession — at least not right around the corner.

To dig more deeply into where the overall U.S. economy is Jim Glassman. He is the head economist for Chase Commercial Bank and will be in the Valley on Tuesday to keynote the Association for Corporate Growth-Arizona Chapter’s breakfast.