File – A hiring sign is displayed at a job agency in Mount Prospect, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 3, 2023. An economic downturn remains very possible. Yet in recent weeks, with inflation showing widespread signs of easing, a more cheerful view has begun to gain traction: Maybe a recession isn't inevitable after all. (Nam Y. Huh/AP) WASHINGTON — For months, the outlook for the U.S. economy has been a mostly bleak one: Inflation hitting a four-decade high, consumer spending weakening, interest rates surging. Most economists penciled in a recession for 2023. An economic downturn is still possible. Yet in recent weeks,…