With unemployment slightly declining and GDP expected to rise, Americans are beginning to hope that the economy is on the mend. In July, the unemployment rate came in at 9.4%, a tenth of a percent lower than the previous month while the Dow Jones average moved above 9,000. These positive changes signal an improvement however economists and policymakers still fear another downturn.

To keep Congressional staffers up to date on the current economic situation, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University hosts quarterly briefings that survey the economic scene. Specific attention is paid to GDP data, employment, inflation, and interest rates, all conveyed in a way that is understandable to the economist and non-economist alike. This “birds-eye-view” of the economy will be valuable to staffers interested in promoting policies intended to aid economic performance.

Topics to be discussed will include:

• Have we hit the bottom of the recession?
• Will unemployment continue to improve?
• How do each of the 50 states compare in this tough economic climate?
• Which states are leading the charge and which states lag behind?
• What can we expect from the American Economy in the third quarter of 2009?

Hosted by Dr. Bruce Yandle , one of our most popular speakers, these quarterly briefings are free of charge and open to all senior congressional staffers.

Bruce Yandle is a Professor Emeritus and the BB&T Scholar at Clemson University, where he has been a faculty member since 1969. From 1976 to 1978, he was a senior economist on the staff of the President’s Council on Wage and Price Stability, where he reviewed and analyzed newly proposed regulations. In addition, Dr. Yandle was executive director of the Federal Trade Commission and is the author or co-author of numerous books and articles. He received his Ph.D. and M.B.A. from Georgia State University and his A.B. degree from Mercer University.