CWU College of Business to host Economic Outlook Conference on May 6

Economists, industry professionals, business leaders, and scholars are encouraged to register for the upcoming Economic Outlook Conference (EOC) at Central Washington University.

The 20^th annual event, hosted by the CWU College of Business and Department of Economics, is scheduled for Monday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom on the Ellensburg campus.

“The EOC provides a platform for industry experts, economists, business professionals, and academics to gain insights, share knowledge, and engage in meaningful discussions surrounding national and regional economic conditions, challenges, and potential policy solutions,” said Assistant Professor of Economics Tennecia Dacass, who is coordinating next month’s event.

The theme of the conference is “Inclusive Labor Policies: Adapting Regulations to the Changing Nature of Work.” Dacass explained that the objective for the EOC is to help attendees analyze how immigration and artificial intelligence (AI) influence the U.S. labor market so they can assess the efficacy of existing regulatory frameworks.

The 2024 conference will feature discussions by economists Dr. Santiago Pérez, associate professor of economics at the University of California, Davis; Dr. Evgeniya Duzhak, regional policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco; and Dr. Laurel Orr, a researcher at the Numbers Station.

Perez and Duzhak will share their research on the immigrant experience in the U.S. labor market, while Orr will discuss how generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) changed the way companies build and deploy systems.

Meanwhile, Dr. Wei Yen, a research scientist with the Washington State Office of Financial Management, and Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association, will share their professional experience working alongside immigrants in the labor market, plus some of the challenges they have experienced.

Additional speakers include:

• Dr. Anneliese Vance-Sherman, Chief Labor Economist for Washington state
• Dr. Dave Reich, Executive Director and Chief Economist, Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast Council
• Amy McGuffin, Chief Executive Officer, Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce
• Rachel Mahnke, Senior Account Manager, Google
• Dr. Yurim Lee, CWU Assistant Professor of Economics
• Dr. Claudia Wright, CWU Assistant Professor of Sociology
• Roslyn Moes, CWU International Student Advisor

CWU faculty members who specialize in immigration research will also join the conversation, and CWU economics students will be on hand to share their research on macroeconomic trends.

In addition, the EOC offers ample networking opportunities, where attendees can connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and industry professionals to forge valuable relationships and explore potential collaborations.

Admission to the conference is free for CWU students, faculty, and staff. General admission tickets are $20. Visit the EOC webpage to learn more.