[MUSIC]
BRYSON: Are we going into a recession, or
is this next year going to be a boom?
Most businesses - they’re in the trenches, and
they don’t see some of the bigger picture
sort of things.
[graphics]
VITNER: It’s important for businesses to
have an understanding of the economic environment
because virtually every business is influenced
by the ups and downs of the economy.
Our hope is that businesses will look at our forecast,
and that they will come away with a better
understanding of where the economy is headed.
BRYSON: The macro economy is going to be - you
know, the tide’s going to be rising or it’s
going to be going out, and that’s going
to affect your business.
VITNER: When we put our Annual Economic Outlook
together, we spend a little bit more time
than we do on our monthly forecast — and
really, we’re taking stock of where we are
in the business cycle, and how we think the coming year is likely to differ from the last year.
BRYSON: So we provide a broad view of the
economy in the Annual Economic Outlook, and
many business owners can use this to really
think about the coming year, and how that
will affect their business.
VITNER: It helps them formulate plans for
pay increases, for rent increases, for investment
in new plans and equipment. And that hopefully
we’ll identify some opportunities for them
to grow their business, and maybe identify
some risk that they’ll be able to minimize.
[MUSIC)
