NEW YORK -- Signs of life are emerging among electronics producers, a leading research firm said, but end-user demand is lagging.

The forecast: A rebound won't come until year-end and will last some two years to reach its full effect, Gartner said.

"The bottoming of PC-related production is breathing the first signs of hope into the electronics supply chain," says Gartner analyst Klaus Rinnen. "Still, the majority of the industry will not bottom until the third quarter of 2009."

Most electronics equipment sectors are still slowing and a full recovery won't take place until 2011, the research firm said.

The world's GDP will fall 2.6% year-over-year in 2009, Gartner said. Gartner pointed to government stimulus programs as key to returning regional economies to growth.