RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Job creation and the continued urbanization of the country’s 15th largest labor market will be hot topics for one of the most important economic conferences in Southern California.

Empire Economic Forecast Conference, to be held Wednesday, Oct. 25 at the Riverside Convention Center, will deliver fresh outlooks for the U.S., California and Inland Empire economies. The conference also will share new data on where home prices, employment, personal income, spending, commercial real estate markets and other indicators are headed.

This year’s event features a discussion about the urbanization of the Inland Empire – now the 15th largest labor market in the country. While similar in size to metropolitan areas like Washington D.C. and Atlanta, the Inland Empire is different because it has no downtown or urban core, where jobs are densely located. Speakers will address how this dynamic might affect business creation and economic development in the region, as well as whether developing an urban core is a more effective way to grow the economy.

California Speaker of the House Anthony Rendon will deliver the keynote address. Renowned forecasters Christopher Thornberg and Robert Kleinhenz will present new economic outlooks and UCLA’s Michael Manville will explore the region’s urbanization.

The event is presented by the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development. The center produces a wide variety of economic analysis, including revenue forecasts, employment analyses and an Inland Empire Business Activity Index.

Related: Urban Inland Empire: California’s Next Metropolis?

About UC Riverside

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California’s diverse culture, UCR’s enrollment is now nearly 23,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.