Economists have trimmed forecasts for US growth in the second half of this year and next year, but more have come to the view that the US will dodge a recession, a survey showed.

Blue Chip Economic Indicators, a monthly newsletter, said 53.5 per cent of the 48 private economists surveyed for its June issue do not believe the US economy is in or will enter a recession this year, up from 40 per cent in the May survey.

"The consensus now suggests the downturn in economic growth will be less steep than earlier feared, but the subsequent recovery in growth to its trend rate will take longer than hoped a few months ago," the newsletter said.

The economists polled on June 2 and 3 projected third-quarter growth at a 1.5 per cent annual rate, down from the 1.7 per cent pace forecast a month ago. For the fourth quarter, they said the economy would likely expand by 1.2 per cent, down from the 1.5 per cent projected a month ago.

Despite the downgraded expectations for the second half of this year, the consensus forecast for the year as a whole moved up to 1.5 per cent from 1.4 per cent as economists took into account an upward revision to first-quarter growth and bumped up their expectations for the second quarter to a still-anemic 0.4 per cent from 0.2 per cent.