A new economic report for Ventura County is painting a grim picture about the outlook for the region. It shows that for the first time in recent years the county’s population has actually decreased. The California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting released its 2019 Ventura County Economic Forecast Thursday.
CERF researchers say the county is now in a fifth straight year of economic weakness. They say growth basically has been at an average of zero percent for the past five years. Economists say one of the big problems is that high housing prices in the region are prompting some people to leave, and if that trend continues, it could continue to hurt the growth potential.
Cal Lutheran is the parent of KCLU Radio.