Modest Growth Coupled with High Unemployment Seen In National Economy
Little or No Economic Growth in California This Year, Followed by "Slight" Growth in 2010 Before More Normal Growth Rates Return in 2011
LOS ANGELES, December 9, 2009 - In its fourth quarterly report of 2009, the UCLA Anderson Forecast
continues its theme from September that the national economy is on a modest growth path that will be
accompanied by extraordinarily high rates of unemployment. This slow growth outlook reflects the lagged
effects of the implosion of consumer balance sheets and, according to the Forecast, is a result of the
economy in transition from being an import-oriented/low-savings rate one to a more export and higher-savings
oriented one. Fueling this transition is the administrations weak dollar policy which encourages exports
and discourages the consumption of imports and the combined effect will cause real consumer spending to
grow at a modest 2% rate far below the historical 3 3.5% rate.
In California, the UCLA Anderson Forecast suggests that the recession is playing out much as was predicted.
The states unemployment rate continues to increase and local government employment continues to decline.
Larger than expected reductions in government spending lowers the California forecast slightly when compared
to the previous report.
Recession for Most of 2009 with a Recovery in Housing Market
San Diego, May 15, 2009 - The UCLA Anderson Forecast today released its annual economic forecast for San
Diego County. The Forecast states the official end month for the national recession is likely to be
early in the second half of 2009, and the worst of the problems for San Diego will then be over. The
unemployment rate for the nation and San Diego is likely to continue to elevate until growth becomes
strong enough to absorb new entrants into the labor market.
California's Budget Does Not Solve Underlying Problems
State relies too heavily on taxes from top earners
Dr. Jerry Nickelsburg is a senior economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Among his responsibilities
are the economic forecast for California and authorship of the associated quarterly California Report.
Last week, the state of California ended a months-long stalemate with the passage of a new budget. While
the next UCLA Anderson Forecast for California is not scheduled for release until March, Nickelsburg had
some immediate reaction to the newly-passed budget.
Lessons from the Deukmejian Era for Contemporary California State Budgeting
Daniel J.B. Mitchell
September 1, 2007
In this forthcoming chapter of California Policy Options 2008, Former Director of the
UCLA Anderson Forecast and Ho-Su Wu Professor Daniel Mitchell points out that Californias
current mixture of a slowing economy, a persistent budget deficit, and a no-new-taxes governor
has actually been a common feature of state budgeting since the 1980s. Prof. Mitchell argues
that there are several important lessons current policy makers can learn from this history,
so that we hopefully are not doomed to repeat it.
A Flat World, A Level Playing Field, a Small World After All, or None of the Above?
Edward Leamer
February 21, 2006
Award-winning journalist and author, Thomas L. Friedman discusses the changing forces
of global competition in his best-seller, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century.
Award-winning professor and director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast, Edward Leamer
reviews the book and dissects the title's metaphor in the Journal of Economic Literature
book review, "A Flat World, A Level Playing Field, a Small World After All, or None of the Above?"