UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

UCLA Anderson Forecast Looks at Economic Growth amid Presidential Elections

UCLA Anderson Forecast’s quarterly outlook for the national economy foresees real gross domestic product growth in the 2.0% to 2.5% range throughout 2017 and 2018, where it has been for the past seven years. With the economy approaching full employment, employment growth is expected to slow from what has been a consistent 200,000 jobs per month to about 150,000 per month in 2017 and 125,000 per month the following year. The national unemployment rate is predicted to be in the 4.8% to 5.0% range throughout the forecast period. In California, steady gains in employment are expected through 2018, while the unemployment rate in the state is expected to decrease during the next two years. California’s unemployment rate is expected to be insignificantly different from the U.S. rate at 5.4% by the end of the forecast period.

How Does the Economy Affect the Presidential Election?

This quarter, Forecast Economist William Yu takes a historical look at how “the economy” influences presidential elections. Yu’s research includes state data from 1968 through 2012 and led him to the following conclusions:

• The economic performance factor explains about 10% of variation of votes across states during this period. The non-economic performance factor explains 3.0% of variation.
• The demography factor explains 13% of variation of votes. The religion factor explains 3.0% of variation of votes.
• The state characteristic factor, which we assume remains constant for each state during this period, explains 51% of variation of votes across states.
• The rest (20%) is unexplained, which could be attributed to factors such as candidates’ individual qualities and campaign messages, and strategies compounded with other issues of voter concern in each election cycle. 

The Fun Is Just Starting at UCLA Anderson

Class of 2017 "mascots" rallied five sections of incoming MBAs at UCLA Anderson Game Day. Enjoy the full album of high-energy high jinks!

UCLA Anderson Alumna Works to Redefine How Companies Think about Their People

Britney Sussman (second from right) at UCLA Anderson's Velocity Women's Summit

By Carolyn Gray Anderson

UCLA Anderson alumna Britney Sussman (’16) found her passion for human capital management while earning her MBA. She’ll pursue her career with Deloitte next year and is meanwhile working on a short-term human capital consulting project for the Los Angeles Lakers.

BusinessBecause interviewed Sussman about her deep interest in and commitment to women’s advancement in business and management education. “The MBA gender gap is no secret,” she told Christian Robinson. “Anderson and other schools are undertaking significant efforts to try to make their student bodies more equitable, but more can be done. I was focused on attracting high-potential women to the MBA, and enhancing the current female student on-campus experience.”

Sussman contributed to that enhancement in any number of ways — assuming the helm of the Women’s Business Connection, which co-organized the signature Velocity Women's Summit, launching Anderson’s MANbassador ally campaign, and earning a Poets & Quants Best MBA distinction, to name a few.

Read the entire interview with Sussman in BusinessBecause.

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TechDay in Los Angeles Attracts UCLA Anderson Startups

By Carolyn Gray Anderson

TechDay comes to Los Angeles on Thursday, September 22, and UCLA Anderson alumni in the startup community are gearing up. The one-day technology exhibitor and demonstration event hosts more than 50,000 people from six continents at events in major cities like New York and London.

Max Lynn (’13) manages business development and finance for AtomTickets, the app that simplifies locating movies you want to see, purchasing tickets and concessions, and coordinating with friends — skipping the line in the process. AtomTickets will be at TechDay at a booth in the entertainment and music section.

Lynn’s title is Road Warrior and, by contrast, his favorite movie is Up in the Air. He and the AtomTickets team said their top tip for UCLA Anderson students interested in launching a startup is “Make sure your idea solves a problem.”

We asked them to describe the tech startup environment at the intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley in 140 characters or fewer: “We are surrounded by smart, driven companies looking to change the game for the better — which is great company to keep.”

Visit AtomTickets at TechDay Los Angeles and follow them on social media @atomtickets

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UCLA Anderson Alumna’s Top 4 Tips for Launching a Sweet Enterprise

@bitesdesserts @cakeandcouture

 

By Carolyn Gray Anderson

In the short time since she graduated, UCLA Anderson alumna Shreena Grewal (FEMBA ’16) has added an online shop and new event concepts to her ice cream catering company, Bites Desserts. Trained as a financial analyst, Grewal is a self-described fashionista, foodie and jetsetter — all of which inspired her entrepreneurial ventures, including the recently launched Cake and Couture line of gifts.

“I’ve always been a problem solver and have always enjoyed the idea of being an entrepreneur and creating my own solutions,” she says. “My company helps to make events more memorable with all-natural ice cream in unique flavors and packaging. Our ‘solutions’ range from custom sundae cups to s’mores bars.”