UCSB Economic Forecast Project

09/01/2026

On August 26, one of our graduate students, Jonah Danzinger, joined a panel with the Coastal Housing Coalition, alongside the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS and Cottage Health. He talked about why competitive rent alone doesn't explain Santa Barbara's hiring struggle, and that talent goes where the paycheck works.

Read the data behind this in our new blog series, Data Insights: https://efp.ucsb.edu/blog/data-insights/were-hiring

08/12/2026

On June 25, 2026, Peter spoke about war, tariffs, taxes, inflation, debt, and AI at the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) Annual Meeting. His advice? Be calm and stay the course.

💡 Read more here:

War, Tariffs, Taxes, Inflation, Debt, and AI? Be Calm and Stay the Course

07/23/2026

Zack Kass explains that the story of technology is the story of human progress. Technology has pulled people out of poverty over and over. So, why are we telling ourselves negative stories about it?

Watch the rest of his talk on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/_HDqBLKt-vM

07/22/2026

Zack Kass tells the story of the Longshoremen Strike of 2024 to explain that technology and automation benefits everyone economically, including the Longshoremen and their kids. 💡

Watch the rest of his talk on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/_HDqBLKt-vM

07/21/2026

Rent control is NOT the answer! Zack Kass is in favor of a progressive policy, which is a non-resident tax, and building. It's that simple.

Watch the rest of his talk on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HDqBLKt-vM

07/20/2026

Fishing closures can be like taking away a fisherman's college degree. Kim Selkoe talks about the costs and benefits of fishing closures in California. Watch the full video on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/OXEgKoExv0c

07/20/2026

Save the date! California's Problems, Santa Barbara's Choices: a panel discussion at the Lobero Theatre on Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 7 PM, tackling affordability, homelessness, housing, water, health care, and education.

Speakers include Pepperdine School of Public Policy Dean Pete Peterson, UCLA economist Lee Ohanian, former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, and Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kristen Miller, with Bill Macfadyen moderating.

MODERATOR: BILL MACFADYEN, Noozhawk Publisher Our All-Star Panel   PETER PETERSON is the Dean of Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy and past-Director of the bipartisan reform organization California Forward. He is also the co-creator of the seminar, “Public Engagement: The Vital Leadership Sk...

07/16/2026

AI will change everything. Igor Mezic closes his talk at the 45th Annual Santa Barbara County Economic Summit with a call for context-aware, benevolent, energy-efficient AI. There's no going back — the question is what we build next. Watch his full talk on our YouTube Channel. https://youtu.be/0kBb2LF6eGg

07/15/2026

Igor Mezic introduces the topic of AI during his lecture at the 2026 Economic Summit by telling us about how AI was able to solve an 80 year old math problem. Want to learn more? Check out his full talk on our YouTube page! https://youtu.be/0kBb2LF6eGg

07/13/2026

Peter Rupert headed down to the Santa Barbara Fish Market on the Wharf to talk with Kim Selkoe, Executive Director of the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, and Chris Voss, the organization's President, about how the market works and the real challenges local fishermen are facing right now.

⚓ It's a good look at an industry that's easy to overlook but central to Santa Barbara's economy and identity. 🐟

🎬 Watch the full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXEgKoExv0c

Peter Rupert heads down to the Santa Barbara Fish Market on the Wha...