The Arkansas Economic Development Institute, based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will host the Little Rock Regional Economic Briefing Thursday, Nov. 12.

The virtual economic event will take place from 8-10 a.m. Nov. 12. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at this online link.

Economists will speak on the economic conditions and outlook for the region and the nation. The briefing will be of particular interest to business leaders, academics, and community development practitioners.

The speakers include:

• Kevin Kliesen, St. Louis Fed research officer and business economist, who will discuss national economic conditions
• Carlos Silva, Arkansas Economic Development Institute regional economist, who will give the Little Rock metro report
• Michael Pakko, Arkansas Economic Development Institute chief economist and state economic forecaster, who will talk about the Arkansas economic outlook

“The Little Rock Regional Economic Briefing will include perspectives on the national, state, and regional economies,” Pakko said. “In these very unusual times, the pandemic and efforts to curtail its spread have a profound influence on the economic outlook, and we’ll be focusing in particular on how our economy has fared thus far, and what that portends for the forecast.”

The program also includes a welcome from Robert Hopkins, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and a question-and-answer session following the presentations.

For more information, contact Julie Kerr at julie.a.kerr@stls.frb.org or 501-324-8296.