RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: NPR's business news starts with an upbeat take on America's economy.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: The National Association for Business Economists(ph) says that despite financial problems in Europe, the economic outlook in this country is improving. Households are expected to spend more. Companies are expected to buy more equipment and software. The group says overall GDP will grow at a healthy rate of 3.2 percent this year and next year. That's higher than previously forecast. As for unemployment, the economists predict that by the end of 2011 that should drop by more than one percentage point to a jobless rate of eight and a half percent.
The National Association for Business Economists says that despite financial problems in Europe, the economic outlook in this country is improving. Households are expected to spend more, and companies are expected to buy more equipment and software. The group says overall GDP will grow at a healthy rate of 3.2 percent this year and next year.