Economists See Another Year Of Sluggish Growth

No double dip, but jobless rate likely to remain high, msnbc.com panel says

The U.S. economy is definitely on the mend. But it's got a long way to go to repair the damage from the worst financial collapse since the Great Depression.

That’s the view, at least, of a majority of economists surveyed in msnbc.com’s annual  Economic Roundtable.

In just the past month, many forecasters have boosted their outlook for next year, based on a series of positive economic reports. Retailers are reporting a better than expected shoppingholiday season. Manufacturers are seeing a pickup in production. And private sector job growth — though still very sluggish — has picked up from the first half of the year

"All of this suggests that businesses and consumer are feeling more confident about the recovery and less worried about a double dip," said Nariman Behravesh, chief economist for  IHS Global Insight.

GO HERE to read more.