June 25 (Reuters) - It is possible the U.S. economy could reach the conditions on maximum employment and inflation that would merit an interest rate increase next year, but it will be important to watch the data, Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said on Friday. Rosengren declined to provide his projection for interest rates, stressing the Fed’s policy will depend on economic data. “It really depends on what the economic outcome is,” Rosengren said during an interview with Yahoo Finance. “But it wouldn’t surprise me based on the current projections of what we’re seeing in the data that that criteria could be met as soon as the end of next year.” Rosengren said he expects inflation to be slightly above 2% next year. While there is currently still slack in the labor market, the U.S. economy could approach full employment by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, he said. (Reporting by Jonnelle Marte Editing by Chris Reese) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.