Poll: Economists expecting faster growth in 2011

The first and second quarters of 2011, economists are now expecting improved results, with growth expected to hit about 3.2 percent compared with about 2.8 percent. 

Still, despite some improvement in the economy, the unemployment rate has remained above 9 percent for the past 20 months and isn’t expected to decline below that level this year. 

The housing market is still fumbling through and is still at least two years away from a healthy recovery, housing experts have said. 

Economists also felt 2011 would include increasing expectations for inflation.

The median of forecasts called for the consumer price index to rise 1.7 percent this year, up from a forecast of 1.5 percent in the December poll.