Economic Forecast 2012
As an economic measure, unemployment is everyone's go-to statistic - and with Oregon's unemployment rate finally below 9 percent, there are signs that the economy is looking up. But this rate declined partly because some are giving up the job search. Moreover, the state's economic index just fell for the fourth month in a row - a trend that has, in the past, preceded state recession.
So how is Oregon's economy doing? How do we compare to the nation at large? And what can we expect in 2012? On January 27, economists Mark McMullen and Tom Potiowsky will offer their official predictions for the national and state economies in the coming year.
As interim director of Oregon's Office of Economic Analysis, Mark McMullen is responsible for developing state economic and demographic forecasts and estimating general fund revenues for the state. Tom Potiowsky recently completed his second term as director of the Office of Economic Analysis. He now serves as a professor and as Chair in the Department of Economics at Portland State University.
