President Bush tried to put a positive spin on the economy Saturday at the start of the Labor Day weekend. In his weekly radio address, he said: "There have been some recent signs that our economy is beginning to improve."

The president cited a report released Thursday that the overall economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, increased by 3.3 percent in the April-June quarter.

The news actually did surprise economists. The economy grew just 0.9 percent in the first quarter of the year. Those economic stimulus payments the federal government has been sending to Americans since May — $93 billion worth — may be doing some good.

But the payments are mainly paid out, and some economists worry that spending will falter. In other news this week, consumer spending slowed considerably and personal incomes dropped after the second quarter.

Other factors do not look so promising: unemployment is rising, the credit crunch continues and the housing slump resumes. Perhaps that is why the president tempered his optimism with concern.

"There are families across our country struggling to make ends meet," he said. "There is an understandable concern about the high price of gas and food. And many Americans are worried about the health of our housing and job markets. I share these concerns about our economy."