U.S. real gross domestic product will grow by 3.2% in both 2010 and 2011, according to a group of 46 economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics.

The 2010 growth forecast is up from 3.1% reported during a previous NABE Outlook survey released in February.

Economists in the survey also reported they believe the trough of the recession was in June 2009 with the U.S. economy expanding since that time.

Job gains will remain robust except for a third-quarter slowdown related to a reversal of Census-related hiring, according to the survey. The unemployment rate is expected to fall to 9.4% by the end of 2010 and to 8.5% by the end of 2011.

"Although risks involving Europe have recently escalated, the outlook in this country has improved in most respects. Growth prospects are stronger, unemployment and inflation are lower, and worries relating to consumer retrenchment and domestic financial headwinds have diminished," said NABE President Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Point Loma Nazarene University. "The economy is in reasonably good shape as the recovery approaches its first anniversary, but forecasters remain 'extremely' concerned about large federal deficits going forward."

The survey took place between April 27 and May 7.

The NABE survey is more upbeat on employment than the Survey of Professional Forecasters released earlier this month by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. That survey estimated an unemployment rate of 9.5% by the end of 2010 and 8.9% for full-year 2011.

The Philadelphia Fed survey also estimated real GDP growth of 3.3% in 2010, more upbeat than the NABE's 3.2% estimate. However, the Philadelphia Fed survey estimated real GDP growth of 3.1% in 2011 compared with the 3.2% forecast by the NABE survey.