The Swedish economy has experienced a deep contraction, triggered by the global economic crisis. A gradual recovery has started but economic slack is very large and unemployment will remain high for some time. Consumer and business confidence have been improving over the past six months and retail sales have picked up. Financial market conditions have also improved, with spreads on interbank and mortgage rates having reverted towards more normal levels. Lending to households has started to accelerate, although lending to firms is still slowing.