BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- It's official -- the U.S. is in a recession. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the U.S. economy has been in a recession since December 2007.

The NBER, a private, nonprofit research organization, said its group of economists, who determine business cycles, met and decided that the U.S. has been in a recession for the past year.

Many shoppers and retailers in the Southwest said they are not surprised by Monday's news. Retailers like Russo's Book Store said they have been struggling for the past year, and despite the slumping economy and consumer fears, they are still hoping for a green Christmas.

"I think there will still be business and that we will do well," said book store owner, Tony Russo. "We sell a low priced item. For someone who has everything, a book is good for them. And for somebody who has nothing, a book is good for them. So we feel we'll survive through it."

"I hear we are in a recession, so I try to keep a better handle on it but I feel it hasn't affected me. I feel I've been doing better than I have in years," said shopper Jana Jefferey.

As more bad news looms over the U.S. economy, a local journal reported more bad news for Kern County's economy. Kern County's economy experienced a downturn during 2008's third quarter and unemployment grew, according to the latest issue of the Kern Economic Journal, published by California State University Bakersfield.

"The county's economy declined at an annual rate of 1.8 percent. Compared to the previous year, the economy fell 1.4 percent," said Abbas Grammy, professor of economics at CSUB, and publisher of the Kern Economic Journal.

The jobless rate also grew. The rate of unemployment climbed from 8.8 percent to 9 percent, according to the journal.