CLU’s Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF) to present 2023 Ventura County Economic Forecast on Feb. 21

California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF) releases report on post-pandemic economy and recovery.

Courtesy photos.

THOUSAND OAKS — The Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF) at California Lutheran University will provide an in-depth analysis of the county’s economic performance through COVID-19 and into the post-pandemic environment at 8:30 .m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Janet & Ray Scherr Forum Theatre, Thousand Oaks.

CERF will also present its award-winning forecasts for the United States and California. The event will provide important context for individuals and organizations operating in the current policy environment.

This premier event — from an academic and industry viewpoint — will share results of the latest Ventura County economic forecast publication. The two-year-ahead economic forecast will be unveiled by the nationally recognized Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF) at California Lutheran University.   

Insights will include in-depth analysis of the county’s economic performance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, an update on the local housing market, and an assessment of the county’s economic and demographic future. Detailed analysis of the California and United States economies will also be presented. CERF’s award-winning forecast and the event’s featured speakers will provide important context for individuals and organizations operating in the current policy environment. Guest speakers include Kimberley A. Strassel, member of The Wall Street Journal editorial board, and Matthew Fienup, Executive Director of CERF.

Fienup is an applied economist who specializes in econometrics, economic policy analysis, land use, and environmental markets. He is Associate Professor of Economics and teaches in Cal Lutheran’s M.S. in Quantitative Economics program. Matthew is a member of the Wall Street Journal Economic Forecasting Survey and was the recipient of 2019, 2020, and 2021 Crystal Ball Awards for the Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey (formerly Case-Shiller). CERF’s U.S. home price forecast received multiple top-3 rankings among more than 100 forecasts included in the survey. Matthew returned to school to pursue his PhD after running a small business in Ventura County for more than a decade. 

Strassel is a member of the The Wall Street Journal editorial board. She writes editorials as well as the weekly column Potomac Watch. Ms. Strassel joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994, working in the news department of The Wall Street Journal Europe. She moved to New York in 1999 and soon thereafter joined the Journal’s editorial page. Ms. Strassel is a regular contributor to Sunday political shows, including CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Fox News Sunday, and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” An Oregon native, Ms. Strassel earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from Princeton University.
 
Cal Lutheran’s CERF provides county, state and national forecasts and custom economic analysis for government, business, and nonprofit organizations. CERF is a contributor to The Wall Street Journal’s Economic Forecasting Survey. The National Association for Business Economics, Reuters, NBC, The Washington Post, the Economist, CNN Money and Pulsenomics have included CERF forecasters in their surveys on economic policies and outlooks, home prices, jobs, and the presidential election. 

The annual event of the California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF) will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Scherr Forum Theatre in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. 

To attend the event, register here: CERF 2023 Ventura County Economic Forecast.