If the economy slips back into recession, banks could really be hurt.

Now when the economy slips into recession, Federal spending helps break the fall.

"It is so close to the edge that the economy could slip into negative growth."

Even the Japanese economy, the world's second largest, has slipped into recession this year.

Inevitably, the economy will either speed up or slip into recession.

Some worry that the economy next year could even slip into a recession.

"After the effects of government spending programs faded last summer," he said, "the economy slipped back to the level it hit in 1998."

None of this means that the economy cannot slip into recession.

And only 11 percent considered it likely that the economy will slip back into recession in the next 12 months.

Almost all current statistics show that the economy has slipped into a recession.