Are we in a recession? If not, how likely is it and when?
It sounds all too similar to the start of 2025 for local businesses. The uncertainty, fueled by tariff hikes and federal funding disruptions, led to a year of stagnation.
One local economist, University of Rhode Island professor Leonard Lardaro, is convinced the state has been in a recession for months.
Others, including the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council and Bryant University economics professor Edinaldo Tebaldi, disagree.
“Economists have often called recessions too early or too often,” Mr. Tebaldi said in a Dec. 18 quarterly economic report.
Businesses, however, can’t afford to wait to see who is right.
PBN’s annual Economic Trends Summit on Jan. 22 will tackle the question and, more importantly, how businesses can survive and even prosper in a weakened economy.
The event at the Marriott Providence will feature a national and state economic forecast by Thomas Tzitzouris, managing director for New York City-based Strategas Research Partners. R.I. Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor will join a panel discussion.