What Will 2012’s Economy Bring? UA’s CBER Economic Outlook Conference is Jan. 12

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The year 2012 is just a month or so away. Will it be marked by recession recovery? Will consumer spending return? Will the housing market improve? What about unemployment? Any improvement there?

Some of those questions will be answered at the 2012 Economic Outlook Conference presented by The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research Thursday, Jan. 12 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel in Montgomery. CBER is part of the Culverhouse College of Commerce.

For the record, CBER analysts expect the state’s economy to expand 1.5 to 2.0 percent by the end of 2011 and to do only slightly better in 2012.

The conference keynote address, “The Economy: View from the Fed,” will be delivered by David Altig, senior vice president and director of research, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The Alabama Outlook, a state forecast and review of metro areas, will be given by Ahmad Ijaz, CBER’s director of economic forecasting, and Carolyn Trent, socioeconomic analyst at CBER.

Dr. Samuel Addy, associate dean for research and outreach at the Culverhouse College of Commerce, will present the luncheon address, “Critical Issues for U.S. Economic Recovery and Growth.”

The 2012 conference sponsors are the Alabama Council on Economic Education; the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs; Alabama Power; Alabama SBDC Network; BBVA Compass; BlueCross BlueShield Cross of Alabama; Boeing Co.; Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama; Kuykendall & Associates, LLC; Marengo County Economic Development Authority; Mercedes-Benz U.S. International; Riley and Jackson; ServisFirst Bank; Sterne Agee and Vulcan Materials Co.

The registration fee of $150 is due by Jan. 5 and includes a copy of the “Alabama Economic Outlook 2012,” conference materials and lunch.

Registration information is available at http://cber.cba.ua.edu