Japan announces it is in a recession

I’ve heard that Japan has announced that it is in a recession.  I think that the USA is in one too, and I don’t understand why the “officials” have not admitted to that.  Our economy is really horrible and has been for a very long time!  Almost every time I meet folks out on the errands that I have to run I hear that someone else that I know has been laid off, or that someone has had to close down their business because the customers just aren’t coming around anymore, or someone else has lost their house to foreclosure.  It really is a very difficult time for almost everyone that I know.  I think that the community is going to have to open up some more soup kitchens and homeless shelters pretty quickly!