2001 Economic Forecast: Is the Bloom Off the Rose?

But how is the economic landscape shaping up for the coming year? To assemble an economic forecast for 2001, I consulted with David Orr, senior vice president and chief economist for First Union Capital Markets Corp. in Charlotte, N.C. He provided substantial input for this article as well as the accompanying charts.

This forecast is divided into three parts. The first provides a broad overview of the economy, including an examination of trends in economic growth, inflation and interest rates. This sets the stage for the second part, a discussion of specific trends in the construction industry. The third part provides a discussion and suggests trends for the stock market in 2001.