The US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has said that the US recession is probably over but the economy will remain weak for some time due to unemployment.



He told a Washington think tank that from a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over and that the consensus is that the economy is growing.



But he added that the economy will still feel very weak to Americans concerned about job security.



Stocks on Wall Street reportedly fell marginally lower following his comments.



Mr Bernanke has also said that he feels quite confident that Congress will approve comprehensive reform of US financial regulation.



The Obama administration is trying to push through regulations designed to prevent another financial crisis.