Economists Foresee Sluggish 2007 Growth

Weighed down by a housing slump, the economy in 2007 will log its most sluggish growth in five years. But that showing should not cause businesses to really clamp down on hiring, economic forecasters say.

A forecast released by the National Association for Business Economics puts the growth of the gross domestic product at 2.2 percent for this year. The rate was 2.7 percent in the group's previous survey, in February.

If the latest prediction proves correct, the growth rate would be the weakest since 2002. Back then, the fragile economy was emerging from a recession and grew by just 1.6 percent.

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