Amid the severe second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths have continued to mount. The economic toll also has been severe, with the Rochester region’s unemployment rate peaking at 15 percent in April and remaining more than 50 percent higher than year-ago levels.
Yet the remarkable achievements of researchers and vaccine developers in the U.S. and abroad have stirred hopes for a post-COVID-19 era beginning in 2021.
The Rochester Beacon has invited two prominent economists—Jed Kolko and Mark Zupan—to assess the pandemic’s impact and explore the possible future for the economy in a Rochester Beacon virtual event next month.
Terzioglu Cohen Group at Morgan Stanley and the Rochester Area Community Foundation are sponsors of the Jan. 14 event, “The 2021 Economic Outlook: COVID and Beyond,” slated for noon to 1 p.m., live on Zoom. The event is free to attend, but registration is required.
Kolko, a Rochester native who is chief economist at Indeed, the world’s largest online jobs site, is keenly aware of employment trends at all levels of the economy.
Previously, he was chief economist and VP of analytics at Trulia, the online real estate site. He has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, FiveThirtyEight, Wonkblog, and Bloomberg View, and has authored a dozen academic articles.
Zupan, president of Alfred University, will offer the benefit of his long experience watching the business sector, particularly in New York and the Finger Lakes region.
Previously, he was the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics and Public Policy, director of the Bradley Policy Research Center and dean at the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School.
His commentaries have appeared in media outlets such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, BusinessWeek and the Financial Times of London.
Moderator for the event will be Kent Gardner, chief economist at the Center for Governmental Research and Rochester Beacon opinion editor.
To attend this free event, register now.