Fed's Rosengren says possible to avoid recession

QUINCY, Massachusetts (Reuters) - The U.S. economy may be able to avoid slipping into a recession, but it is too early to say for sure, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren said on Thursday.

"I certainly think it is possible," Rosengren said when asked if the United States could steer clear of recession.

"It is too early to tell how the economy is going to evolve," he added.

"This quarter looks like it will be another weak quarter with less than 1 percent growth. And for the second quarter people are starting to reduce their forecasts as well," Rosengren told reporters after a speech to local business people.

"A couple of quarters of weak growth would indicate a slowly rising unemployment rate, but most forecasts currently say we will skirt a recession and I certainly hope those forecasts end up being accurate," Rosengren said.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)