Oct. 11—The West Virginia University John Chambers College of Business and Economics will kick off its 29th annual release of economic reports with a statewide assessment on Wednesday in Charleston.

The four different reports — one a statewide assessment, the others offering regional analyses — will present a statistical profile about where the economy is likely headed over the next several years, according to John Deskins, director of the WVU Bureau of Business and Economic Research (WVU BBER).

The West Virginia Economic Outlook Conference is scheduled for the Embassy Suites, 300 Court St., from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Speakers will include Deskins; Brian Lego, research professor, WVU BBER; Adam Scavette, regional economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond; Mark Muchow, deputy cabinet secretary, state Department of Revenue; Mitch Carmichael, secretary, state Department of Economic Development; and other state economic and business leaders.

The speakers will be providing up-to-date economic data and perspectives, sharing updates on global, national and West Virginia economies. The conference agenda includes panels addressing the state's challenges along with how to capitalize on several economic development opportunities in a post-Covid landscape.

Deskins said he will address the state's economy, "and I will provide the forecast for where West Virginia is headed in the coming years."

He said he will also talk about the challenges and opportunities that the state faces.

A panel discussion on manufacturing will be included in the Charleston conference.

Deskins said industry and business representatives will be sharing their perspectives "in what their specific company is doing to overcome challenges that we face nationally, like workforce shortages and what they are doing to bring more opportunities to West Virginia businesses."

Inflation, Deskins said, will draw a lot of attention at the conference. He called it a "significant problem of the last six months or over the past year." A discussion will explore the three or four different drivers of inflation, Deskins said in a video recording accounting the schedule of conferences.

"We will address concerns that we have in light of these increases in interest rates," Deskins said, and "all about the probability that the country falls into a recession" and "the delicate balancing act to get through this problem."

Following the Charleston presentation, three regional conferences will follow with the New River Gorge Area Economic Outlook Conference being handled by the New River Gorge Development Authority on Nov. 10, according to a press release from WVU's Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

Other regional reports include the Wheeling Area Economic Outlook Conference on Oct. 20 and the North Central West Virginia Economic Outlook Conference on Oct. 25.