President Obama's administration implemented a wide array of economic policies intended to "fix" the fallout of the 2008 recession, including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the rescue of the automotive industry, and continued financial stabilization measures. While these actions helped restart economic growth and prevent a total systemic collapse, the recovery was historically slow. By the time Obama left office in 2017, the unemployment rate had returned to pre-crisis levels, marking a long-term improvement from the peak of the crisis during his early years in the White House.