Survey: Business economists more optimistic about US growth

The accelerated COVID-19 vaccine rollout, along with the Biden administration’s rescue aid policies, should help deliver a significant boost to the U.S. economy over the next year as it extends its recovery from the pandemic recession

WASHINGTON -- The accelerated rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, along with the Biden administration's rescue aid policies, have brightened the outlook for the U.S. economy as it extends its recovery from the pandemic recession. That is the view of a majority of business economists that emerges from a survey being released Monday by the National Association for Business Economics. The results, based on responses from 97 NABE members earlier this month, found that two-thirds say the vaccines and the administration's policies have increased their optimism. An equally large proportion say the vaccine rollout and a new presidential administration have had a positive effect on their companies' sales and hiring, up from only 37% who said so in a survey done in January. In addition, 35% of the economists say they think the economy will grow at a robust rate of at least 6% over the next year. Only 4% of the economists had predicted growth that strong in the January survey.