Attached is the January 2010 regional economic report prepared by the Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University. The newest economic information continues to indicate that we are in a slow and gradual recovery. Consumer confidence has continued to rise although it still indicates that there is considerable concern about the economy and the speed of recovery. Unemployment continues to be high and it is likely that we may see some higher unemployment during the first couple months of this year before we start to see some declines. I also included a brief summary of Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke's housing bubble presentation to the American Economic Association earlier this month in the introduction to this month's report.
Gary Jackson
Gary L. Jackson, Ph.D.
Director, Regional Economic Research Institute
Lutgert College of Business
Florida Gulf Coast University
(239) 590-7319