Annual Economic Forecast, October 2006

Anil Puri

Anil Puri, dean of Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics and co-director of its Institute for Economic and Environmental Studies, presented his annual economic forecast on Oct. 26 before an audience of approximately 400 campus and community leaders. Among the issues the veteran economist discussed were oil prices, interest and inflation rates and manufacturing production, both nationally and locally, as well as the housing slowdown, unemployment and job growth in Orange County and Southern California. “Housing prices will be a constraint for Orange County economic growth,” Puri said. “It will affect the number and kinds of jobs. If we can’t control housing, we must offset it” through education, infrastructure and other means.