Goldman economist says Fed hike could come early next year

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga., April 1 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Economist Jan Hatzius said on Wednesday that he expected the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates very late this year, or early next year.

Hatzius, speaking on a panel here at an Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank event, said his view on the timing reflected a significant amount of slack still in the labor market and weak wage growth.

(Reporting by Michael Flaherty and Howard Schneider; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)