Chapman to Unveil Economic Forecast

Chapman University’s annual economic forecast will be presented Thursday, including its one-year and five-year outlooks for Orange County and the nation. Chapman’s is the most closely followed of a handful of economic reports in the county, and it is well-known for its accuracy in predicting growth.

Last year’s Chapman forecast found little to fault in the Orange County economy, and its midyear revision was even more upbeat. So now the question is: Will the expansion hold up in 1998? Chapman is not tipping its hand just yet, but university President James Doti sounded a somewhat cautious note. He says that “a number of complex forces are at work that have significant implications as to whether the current expansion will continue in 1998, especially the impact of stock market values on the national and local economy.”

Local businesses pay close attention to the Chapman report, using it for planning and budgeting purposes. It follows last month’s release of Cal State Fullerton’s annual economic forecast, which predicted a slight slowing of job growth, from 2.9% in 1997 to 2.7% next year.

Patrice Apodaca covers economic issues for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5979 and at patrice.apodaca@latimes.com