Economy Stalls in First Quarter.(Brief article)(Statistical data)

BYLINE: Thomas L. Gallagher

Output of goods and services limped to a barely positive rate of growth in the first quarter, falling off the healthy pace set at the end of last year and dipping to the weakest gain since 2002.

Real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 0.6 percent in the first quarter, according to preliminary estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The new figure is less than half the advance estimate of 1.3 percent …