SOU Students to Release Economic Forecast

(Ashland, Ore.) —The US economy has been slowly recovering since the Great Recession ended in 2009, but what’s the outlook for the next few years? A group of advanced economics students from Southern Oregon University believes they have the answer, and they will be sharing that information during a public presentation Wednesday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m.
The students will describe the current status of the economy and explain their analysis of the future outlook. Although the students use sophisticated models and analytical tools to prepare their forecast, the presentation itself is non-technical and designed for a general audience.
“Although the recession has been officially over for a number of years now, most people’s incomes have not increased significantly: wages and employment growth have been lackluster,” according to SOU economics professor Dan Rubenson. “Is this pattern apt to persist in coming years, or will the economy’s growth remain tepid?  Should we be preparing for significantly higher inflation?  How is the economy likely to be impacted by higher interest rates, or international developments such as oil prices and fluctuations in the exchange rate value of the dollar?  These are the types of questions that this group of students has analyzed in preparing their economic forecast.”
SOU economics students have been presenting forecasts of this nature for several years, and their track record has proven comparable to that of professional forecasters, according to Dr. Rubenson. “This is another excellent and skilled group of students, and I anticipate that they will continue that strong tradition,” he said.
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the Meese Room inside the Hannon Library on SOU’s main Ashland campus.
 
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.