Ninety percent of economists told pollsters the U.S. recession — the worst economic downturn since the stock market crash of 1929 — will end in the third quarter of this year. That analysis, combined with recent predictions that the job market could rebound, may accelerate a housing recovery. The survey — known as the Blue Chip Economic Indicators

— showed that most economists expect a gradual return of growth, while nearly a sixth believe recovery will be sudden and a near-equal number predict a roller-coaster ride to increased productivity. The 51 economists surveyed said gross domestic product would stay in the red overall for 2009, dropping 2.6 percent, but it should rebound at a modest growth rate of 2.3 percent next year, according to MarketWatch. “Debate now centers on the speed, strength and durability of the recovery,” the report said. In a separate report, the Wall Street Journal Monday reported that the job market could also see a turnaround soon, owing to overzealousness in layoffs during the recession’s worst months. “Firms were unusually aggressive in cutting costs and cutting employment,” James O’Sullivan, an economist for UBS, told the Journal. “It could mean that companies will be quicker to bring back people because they were more aggressive about getting rid of them.”