With rising concerns about inflation, the debt limit and the COVID-19 pandemic’s evolution, where will the national, California and Orange County economies head in the future? Are we due for a bout of stagflation – that awful mix of inflation and slow or negative growth? Will the economic expansion continue?

Cal State Fullerton economists Anil Puri and Mira Farka will provide expert insight on the future of the economy on Wednesday, Oct. 20, during the 27th annual Economic Forecast Conference, “A Brave New World – Resiliency, Recovery and Reflation.” The virtual conference will offer critical insights to business leaders, policymakers, academics and students.

The 90-minute presentation, co-presented by the Orange County Business Council and title sponsor U.S. Bank, will examine fiscal and monetary policy, supply chain concerns that are driving prices upward, the housing and labor markets, international developments, and the continuing concerns of COVID-19 relating to vaccine hesitancy and efficacy.

“Our view is more sanguine than the grim prognosis of the stagflationary crowd though less cheerful than the goldilocks economy (high growth/low inflation) that some economists and most policymakers are penciling in. The most pressing and longer-lasting concern is inflation, which much like the virus, will likely become endemic and pervasive, at least over the forecast horizon,” says Mira Farka, associate professor of economics and co-director of the Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting.

“That combination – somewhat slower growth and higher inflation, or ‘stallflation’ – though much more unsettling than the buoyant outlook of just a few months ago, is still orders of magnitude better than the dour prospects of an economy mired in stagflation,” she adds.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m. and is free thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. Reserve your spot today!

For more information, contact Lauren Martin, events manager for the Orange County Business Council, at [email protected].