The U.S. economic recovery continued at a modest pace over the first weeks of this year, with businesses optimistic about the months to come and demand for housing “robust,” but the job market showing only slow improvement, the Federal Reserve reported on Wednesday. “Economic activity expanded modestly from January to mid-February for most” of the Fed’s 12 regional districts, the U.S. central bank said in its latest “Beige Book” compendium of anecdotes about the economy. “Most businesses remain optimistic regarding the next 6-12 months as COVID-19 vaccines become more widely distributed.” The Fed, however, reported that the labor market, which remains about 10 million jobs short of where it was before the start of the coronavirus […]