RJ and Makay

A large majority of economists — 62% — think the Federal Reserve's $600 billion bond-purchase program, also known as quantitative easing, is helping to support U.S. growth. The National Association for Business Economics (NABE) reported that finding recently after surveying 263 of its members.

Of the survey respondents, 21.8% thought quantitative easing was having no impact and 15.8% said it was harmful. When asked about the level of monetary stimulus, slightly more than half said it's just right and 41% described it as too stimulative.

Economists expecting hiring outnumber those predicting layoffs by the widest margin in more than a decade, shows a new survey from the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). The findings are yet another indication the economic recovery is picking up steam.

In the quarterly survey of 84 economists at NABE member companies and trade groups, 42% of respondents predicted more hiring by their firms over the next six months compared with only 7% who expected layoffs — the greatest difference between the two groups in 12 years. Business decisions are now "being driven by the fundamentals of an improving economy," says Shawn DuBravac, a Consumer Electronics Association economist who analyzed the findings.