prefers to be billed as an economic "handicapper" rather than a forecaster of economic or demographic conditions for Spokane and other Inland Northwest communities. But regardless of billing, Mr. Higgins has been sharing his thoughts on the area economy and changes in its demographic components for more than 25 years, having appeared 19 times as guest speaker at annual Spokane Advertising Federation meetings.
On February 11, 2009, Higgins addressed attendees at the Economic Outlook Conference 2009 put on by the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce at the Mirabeau Park Hotel in Spokane Valley, Washington. Higgins told the audience that the recession crushing many areas of the United States came late to the Inland Northwest, will leave sooner, and will inflict less pain.
Higgins said he expects Spokane’s economy, which will be capped by a much stronger Christmas retail season than was the case in snow-clogged 2008, to outperform that of Washington and the U.S. in 2009. Quoting former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who reinvested in the U.S. stock market during the worst of the Depression, Higgins said, "Those who come through this pinch will reap the future."
We're pleased to offer you Mr. Higgins' complete presentation, including a Powerpoint slideshow:
The Economy: What’s Happening in the Inland Northwest
and When Will It Be Better?
An Economic Overview and Forecast for 2009
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Below are links to several other reports given by Mr. Higgins in years past, covering demographic overviews and economic forecasts for Spokane and the Inland Northwest, as well as slides from an economic presentation in Lewiston, Idaho. Some of the reports are in PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. If you have trouble opening any of the documents, you may download the free software at Adobe Reader.