Associated Press (05/03/12)

An Associated Press survey of 32 leading economists forecasts a gradually brighter job picture that will be strong enough to push the unemployment rate down to 7.9% by Election Day in November. The economists conclude the economy has entered a “virtuous cycle” in which hiring boosts consumer spending, which fuels more hiring and spending.

However, the economists think it will be at least three more years before unemployment falls below 6%, which would be a sign of a healthy economy. They predict the economy will grow 2.5% this year, up from 1.7% in 2011. The economists expect job growth to average 177,000 a month from April through June and 189,000 in the second half of the year.