Gas Prices, Bad Weather Slam U.S. Economy; GDP Growth Slowed to 1.8%

The U.S. economy's struggling recovery hit another bump in the road in the first quarter, with brutal winter weather and rising gas prices combining to put the brakes on growth. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to an annual rate of only 1.8%, compared with 3.1% in the last quarter of 2010. The GDP measures all the goods and services produced in the United States. "The biggest factor was weather. It hurt consumption and construction," Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Pierpont Securities , told Reuters . "Energy hurt consumption as well. Higher gasoline prices took a bigger bite out of people's budget."