Nancy Barch, Itzel Nino

In this Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, photo, Nancy Barch, left, and Itzel Nino work on assembly line at Generac Power Systems, Inc., one of the largest makers of residential generators in the U.S., in Whitewater, Wis. A pickup in consumer spending and steady home sales helped lift economic growth in October and early November in most parts of the United States, according to a Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday. The one exception was the Northeast, which was slowed by Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)