Report: U.S. economy should grow in '06

CHICAGO, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A Chicago economic consulting firm says the four-year-old U.S. economic expansion has a long way to go before it dies.

The chief economist of Mesirow Financial, Diane Swonk, said Friday that "productivity growth, which helped keep inflation at bay in the 1990s, has been stronger in recent years.

"Growth will likely moderate but not collapse in the year ahead. Moreover,

a bit of moderation could be just what we need if it helps stabilize

inflation, which would set the stage for growth in 2007 and beyond," she said.