13th Annual Inland Empire Economic Forecast Conference

From Recovery To Expansion: Economic Growth in a ‘Post-COVID’ World 

The U.S. and Inland Empire economies have largely recovered from the pandemic-driven recession that upended so many lives and industries. But in its aftermath, we’ve been left with overheated, overstimulated conditions. Serious concerns have emerged around exploding Federal debt, labor shortages, supply chain scarcity, and historic levels of inflation. The Federal Reserve changed its position that the current bout of inflation is transitory and recently raised interest rates for the first time since 2018. Will it be enough? If not, when will the bond markets flinch? And what will the subsequent rise in interest rates mean for the overall economy? 

Locally, questions also loom. While office and retail markets are smarting as the economy reorganizes around post-COVID norms, industrial space has become the golden child of commercial real estate. This should be good news for the warehouse heavy Inland Empire. But local concerns about pollution and traffic, as well as the loss of jobs due to automation, have left residents lukewarm to the idea of more warehouses. Is industrial a bane or a boon? 

Join some of the nation’s leading economists as they help decipher the gains and pitfalls of the coming year!