Most states in a recession, economist says

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Forty-one states are in or close to a recession, a prominent U.S. economist said.

"There's no way around the map. It says the nation is in recession. The recession is coast to coast," Moody's Economy.com chief economist Mark Zandi told ABC News.

Zandi said 27 states are in a recession and 14 others aren't far behind.

Since March, when Zandi said five states were in a recession, "the job market has eroded measurably and industrial production has weakened sharply," he said. "The other thing is that retail sales have also sharply weakened."

Edward Lazear, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers also used the word recession in an CNN "Late Edition" interview over the weekend.

"We are seeing what I think anyone would characterize as a recession in certain parts of the country," Lazear said.

Recessions are technically defined as two consecutive quarters of economic contraction. But so many economic factors figure into the equation, the official start of a recession is often cause for debate.