The U.S. economy expanded at an annualized 2% in the third quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. The rate of GDP increase for July through September is up slightly from Q2’s 1.7% pace, but still well below the 3.7% logged in this year’s first quarter or the robust 5.0% reading from last year’s final three-month stretch. In other words, the economy’s continuing to muddle along with enough forward momentum to keep another recession at bay. At the same time, today’s GDP report isn’t likely to inspire confidence that economic growth is sufficient to cure the sluggish trend in the labor market—the primary macro challenge these days.