State Agencies Release 2016 Economic Forecasts

On December 21st, the Colorado Legislative Council (CLC) and the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) released their quarterly 2016 economic forecast . (https://www.colorado.gov/cga-legislativecouncil and https://sites.google.com/a/state.co.us/ospb-live/). The two reports provide slightly different estimates for 2015 and forecasts for 2016, both of which are supported by rational explanations. A comparison of the 2015 estimates for key indicators follows.

2015 Estimates

At the national level, the major difference is that OSPB expects U.S. unemployment to be slightly higher.

At the state level there are several items to make note of:
• Both organizations have indicated stronger than anticipated population growth.
• CLC projected employment to be near the current levels published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OSPB projected employment to be near the estimated benchmark revisions that will be made in March.
• Inflations in Colorado is much higher than the U.S. OSPB’s projection for employment is slightly higher than the CLC projection.
• OSPB is more optimistic than CLC about the number of construction permits issued in 2015.

U.S. Economy December 2015 Estimate for 2015
Category CLC OSPB
Real GDP % Change 2.5% 2.4%
Employment   Change % 2.9 million

2.1%

2.8 million

2.0%

Unemployment Rate 5.0% 5.3%
Inflation (CPI) 0.1% 0.1%
Colorado Economy December 2015 Estimate for 2015
Category CLC OSPB
Population Change /% +101,200

1.9%

+98,000

1.8%

Employment Change/% +57,600

2.3%

+69,000

2.8%

Unemployment Rate 4.0% 4.1%
Retail Trade Sales (Millions)/% $93,191

2.8%

$94,200

4.3%

Home Permits (000s) 28.6 31.0
Denver-Boulder Inflation Rate 1.1% 1.5%

2016 Forecasts

At the national level, the two groups have similar forecasts. OSPB forecasted slightly higher U.S. inflation than CLC.

At the state level there are several items to make note of:
• Both groups are projecting population growth similar to 2015.
• Both groups are forecasting continued job growth; however, it will be at a slower level. There are drastic differences in the projected employment levels.
• OSPB is much more optimistic that CLC about construction growth.
• Inflation will be about one percentage point greater than the U.S. level.

December 2015 U.S. – 2016 Economic Forecast 
Category CLC OSPB
Real GDP % Change 2.3% 2.3%
Employment Change/% 2.6 million

1.8%

2.4 million

1.7%

Unemployment Rate 4.8% 4.8%
Inflation (CPI) 1.6% 1.8%
December 2015 Colorado – 2016 Economic Forecast
Category CLC OSPB
Population Change /% +95,200

1.7%

+97,300

1.8%

Employment Change/% +47,300

1.9%

+66,800

2.6%

Unemployment Rate 3.8% 3.8%
Retail Trade Sales (Millions)/% $98,037

5.2%

$99,400

5.5%

Home Permits (000s) 32.0 37.9
Denver-Boulder Inflation Rate 2.4% 2.5%

The bottom line is that the state is expected to show continued job growth. The question is whether or not it will be at a level that is weak to average or will be average to modest growth.

Colorado Economic Forecasts Point to Growth in 2015

It is the forecast season and three Colorado economic forecasts are on the streets.

First, the Governor’s Office of State Budgeting and Planning and the Colorado Legislative Council released their2015 Colorado economic forecasts.

Their forecasts are used for policy and budgetary purposes and at times tend to err on the conservative side. (That comment is intended to serve as a reference point, and is not meant as a criticism). The March forecast is often a more accurate reflection of what will happen during the year.

The good news is that both groups are realistically optimistic about the state’s outlook.

OSPB projects U.S. Real GDP growth of 2.7% with state job growth of 68,300. CLC is slightly more optimistic. They project U.S. Real GDP growth of 3.1% and state job growth of 73,600.

The quarterly reports produced by OSPB and CLC are recommended reading for anyone interested in the state economy. They discuss the economy for all regions of the state, key industries, and factors that impact the budget for the state government.

Finally, Richard Wobbekind recently unveiled the CU Leeds School Colorado economic forecast earlier in the month.  As usual it was a rewrite of the past four years. He expects the U.S. to see significantly stronger U.S. output growth. At the same time he focuses on Colorado being one of the leading states for job growth, yet he states that Colorado will add jobs at a decreasing rate in 2015 after modest growth in 2014. CU is projecting Real GDP growth of 3.1% and state job growth of 61,300 in 2015. Those numbers just don’t make sense.

Between now and next year, Wobbekind and the CU gang should read the paper “Macroeconomic forecasts and microeconomic forecasters”. Author Owen Lamont raises the question, “Does an experienced research team, with a wealth of knowledge, produce a more accurate forecast or does the added knowledge result in an “arrogance” which may reduce the accuracy of the forecast? The state would benefit from CU producing a Colorado economic forecast based on academic rigor rather than self-promotion.

The good news is that this part of the forecast season has passed and all projections point to continued modest growth in 2015. Bring on the new year!

 

Colorado Legislative Council and OSPB Optimistic About 2014

On September 20th, both the Colorado Legislative Council (CLC) and the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) released their quarterly economic updates. Their preliminary look at 2014 is positive.

Highlights from the CLC outlook for 2014 are:
• The unemployment rate will drop to 6.9%.
• 55,400 wage and salary jobs will be added.
• Retail trade sales will increase by 5.4%.
• 35,400 home building permits will be issued.
• Inflation will increase by 3.2%.
In summary, CLC feels the state will continue to add jobs at a similar rate to 2013, but unemployment will not decline substantially. Retail trade sales will show strong growth and there will be a modest increase in home building permits. Inflation may become an issue.

Highlights from the OSPB outlook for 2014 are:
• The unemployment rate will decline to 6.5%.
• 57,500 wage and salary jobs will be added.
• Retail trade sales will increase by 5.4%.
• 37,300 home building permits will be issued.
• Inflation will increase by 2.4%.
Job growth will be similar to 2013, which will lead to a slight decline in unemployment. Retail trade sales will show strong growth and the housing market will post modest gains. Inflation will remain in check.

For more details, check out the CLC quarterly report  and the OSPB report by clicking here. Both groups produce comprehensive economic updates on a quarterly basis. They are “must read” material for anyone interested in the state economy. The reports are released around the 20th of the month in March, June, September, and December.

©Copyright 2011 by CBER.

Colorado State Government Employment Bucks National Trend

Across the country, state governments are slashing budgets and cutting the size of their state workforce. That is not the case in Colorado.

State employment has two components: Higher Education and State Government. Over the past two years, cber.co has reported how the Higher Education workforce has grown for the past decade.

As can be seen in the chart below, Colorado State Government employment (excluding higher education) has reported steady growth since 2004. This is contrary to the trend for the aggregate total of all states.

What lies ahead for state workers? Are these increases justified? Will the Governor continue to add workers to his team over the next year as revenues increase? What makes Colorado different from other states? Will state jobs reliant on federal funding be trimmed as adjustments are made to the federal budget? If the state population increases by 80,000 to 100,000 people every year, won’t it be necessary to add state workers to provide essential services for them? Will the state experience a post recession drop off in workers, as was the case in 2002-2004? How will the elections impact the future of the size of Colorado’s government?

Two sources are recommended for tracking the fortunes of the Colorado State Government: the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting and the Colorado Legislative Council provide quarterly updates of the state economy and finances.

To learn more about the challenges facing government leaders across the country, read The Report of the State Budget Crisis Task Force. The report focuses on six states but illustrates problems that exist in Colorado.

For additional information on the Colorado go to https://cber.co/CBEReconomy.html.

©Copyright 2011 by CBER.