Perryman Assesses Economic Picture

TYLER � Renowned economist Dr. Ray Perryman Thursday offered up a generally upbeat look at the economy, with some caveats. At the quarterly membership luncheon of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and the Tyler Economic Development Council, Perryman gave his annual economic forecasts for the U.S., Texas, and the Tyler area. He said the East Texas area is doing well, pointing to some relocations, expansions, and commercial development. On the whole, according to Perryman, projections show that the area will grow at about the same rate as the state. He says East Texas will continue to see a lot of expansion in business services, health services, and biomedicine �- “some of the core areas that have been growing for quite some time.”

As for Texas, Perryman told attendees the state is leading the nation in growth in just about every category. He said that should continue for the foreseeable future even though the state faces challenges in providing for such items as education, infrastructure, and water. According to Perryman the national economy continues to grow but is still being held back by a lot of uncertainty caused by what he termed the �dysfunction� in Washington.