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Bend region facing slow growth, economist says

Bill Watkins
Courtesy California Lutheran University

Oregon's economy is growing, a regional economist said Tuesday, but at a slow pace that will likely continue into next year.

Bill Watkins, director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University, predicts Oregon's economic gains will not be as robust as those of the national economy, but will outpace California and the construction industry, both of which are in terrible shape.

Watkins, who studies the state and regional economies, gave an economic update Tuesday to a small group in Bend. He does not expect significant job growth in the state during the next six months or so, he said.

Economic growth in Western Oregon, Watkins said, will likely outpace Central Oregon, which has seen some of the state's highest unemployment.

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