Birmingham, MI – The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber will host its annual Economic Forecast on Thursday, January 7, 2021 as a virtual event.

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Senior Business Economist Paul Traub will be the featured speaker. Traub will discuss the current state of the U.S. economy and its recovery from the pandemic. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the U.S. economy in ways not seen since World War II. This has left many business owners wondering when their customers will return so their businesses can recover from the pandemic. Traub will discuss the U.S. economy from the perspective of the Fed’s dual mandate: using monetary policy to stimulate the economy with the goal of generating full employment and stable long-run interest rates, and managing inflation.

The discussion will include an in-depth review of personal consumption, business and residential investment, total trade, government investment and consumption, and the impact monetary policy has had on stabilizing financial markets and expanding the monetary base. He is a member of the team that created the Detroit Economic Activity Index and a frequent speaker on the Michigan economy.

“Paul has been the keynote speaker for several Chamber forecasts in the past, and he provides invaluable information and insight into what our member businesses can expect from our national and state economy for the next 12-18 months,” said Chamber President Joe Bauman.

The event will be held via Zoom from 8 – 9 AM. There is a $10 fee for BBChamber members and a $20 fee for future members. Reservations are required and can be made at www.bbcc.com.

Sponsors for the event include Bank of Ann Arbor, Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling PLC, Mercantile Bank and the Birmingham Bloomfield Credit Union.

The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber is a membership organization dedicated to promoting economic development, strengthen the business climate and improve the quality of life in the six communities it serves – Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and Franklin.

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