It's still expensive to find a place to live and inflation hasn't disappeared

but there's news many pros are betting the US economy gets better and better

this year. I'm David Brancaccio in New York. We lead with decidedly

upbeat assessments of the US economy this morning from economists who work for

American businesses. The National Association for Business Economics updates its forecast

every quarter and compared to what was predicted at the end of last year the group's new outlook

calls for higher economic growth, double the job growth, and lower unemployment.

Marketplace's Mitchell Hartman has that.

The National Association for Business Economics upped its growth projections for this year

based on the strength of consumer spending, business

and residential investment, and government outlays on infrastructure.

University of Arkansas Economist Mervyn Jeberage, who chairs the survey panel, says use of the

R word, recession is fading.

Over the past quarters, the prospects for recession seem to get smaller,

prospects for soft landing larger,

so now three quarters of our panelists

expect a soft landing.

Employment's good, spending's good.

Economist Robert Frick at Navy Federal Credit Union agrees the economy is looking strong for

2024.

But when he meets with frontline credit union employees who deal with cash-strapped members, he

hears a different story.

...