Did West Virginia really experience economic gains over the past year? If so, what does that mean for the coming year?
Stakeholders in the West Virginia economy can get an analysis and forecast of the state’s economic landscape at the 20th Annual Economic Outlook Conference in Charleston on Oct. 1. The annual event, hosted by the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research , housed in the College of Business and Economics, will be held at the Charleston Embassy Suites.
The event starts at 8 a.m. and will include the U.S. economic outlook by Andy Bauer, economist, Baltimore Branch, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The national outlook will be followed by the West Virginia Economic Outlook, presented by John Deskins, Bureau director. The final component of the program will feature a panel discussion on West Virginia economic issues.
“Our goal during the West Virginia Economic Outlook is to paint the most complete picture possible of West Virginia’s economic landscape,” said Deskins, who took over leadership of the Bureau earlier this year. “There are a lot of topics germane to the state economy that have been on everyone’s mind such as job growth, which industries are growing and which ones are not, the employment picture, West Virginia exports and population growth, to mention a few. The role of the Bureau is to provide information on these topics so that the appropriate discussion and action can take place for the benefit of all of the state’s citizens.”
Deskins said that four of the primary indicators of the economy include population, employment, the unemployment rate and real per capita personal income. “The Economic Outlook Conference will provide comprehensive information about many aspects of the economy. In the end, these four components are good indicators of what we can expect for the coming year,” Deskins said.
Registration and continental breakfast will begin at 8 a.m., followed by a welcome by Jose “Zito” Sartarelli, the business college’s Milan Puskar dean. The Economic Outlook Conference will be followed by the BrickStreet Business Startup and Growth Workshop, presented by the WVU BrickStreet Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, also located in the College of Business and Economics. Economic Outlook Conference attendees will receive a 50 percent discount to the workshop.
To register for the Economic Outlook Conference, go to http://be.wvu.edu/bber.
