Business Professor Among Panelists at Economic Summit

Albert Williams, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of finance and economics at NSU’s H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, was one of three panelists at the Economic Summit and Expo Wakeup Breakfast for the Coral Springs Coconut Creek Regional Chamber of Commerce, held Nov. 14, 2023.

Williams discussed inflation, past and present, and provided a forecast for 2024. He stated that, in 2024, the U.S. economy will grow at a similar, or slightly higher, rate than in 2023.

Williams addressed questions regarding the difficulty of finding skilled and unskilled workers in Florida. With a low unemployment rate of 2.6 percent in South Florida, most people are already working. Also, due to a recently signed state bill, many farm, construction, and service workers are leaving the state. He discussed how employers can help their employees with the burden of inflation.

This includes giving employees annual salary increments that reflect the inflation increase and providing financial literacy training for them. Williams also recommended that employees have a candid self-reflection on their lifestyle and either increase their income and/or cut costs, such as reducing the number of meals away from home and reducing transportation costs by doing “batch” trips (buying groceries, buying gas, getting your prescription, and getting pizza in one trip).

Because of the shortage of workers, Williams strongly recommended that the employers attending the session come to NSU to find students who have the potential to be excellent workers. In addition to sharing his economic and finance knowledge, Williams also shared his guitar talent and entertained the 80 participants with his smooth guitar music, which is a fusion of rock, reggae, calypso, and Latin.

Posted 11/26/23