Regional economic update set for Nov. 16 in Little Rock
by November 7, 2016 1:58 pm 151 views
The Little Rock branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host an update on the area and national economies Nov. 16.
The meeting will take place from 7:30 to 9:45 a.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, according to a news release from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
The breakfast event will include the following speakers:
- Kevin Kliesen, St. Louis Fed research officer and business economist, who will discuss national conditions;
- Charles Gascon, St. Louis Fed regional economist, who will give an overview of the Arkansas economy;
- Michael Pakko, chief economist and state economic forecaster for the institute, who will offer an Arkansas forecast; and
- Jim Youngquist, institute executive director, who will moderate a question-and-answer session following the presentations.
“The briefing will be of particular interest to business leaders, academics and community development practitioners,” according to the release.
Click here to register for the free event.
In its third-quarter report on the Little Rock zone, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported improved optimism on the economic outlook.
In the zone, which includes the majority of the state except northeast Arkansas, unemployment rate was 3.8%, job growth remained positive, housing activity was strong, auto loan debt increased nearly 9.5% from the previous year, and favorable weather and more harvested land is expected to “lead to bumper corn, cotton and rice crops this year.”