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During the past year-and-a-half, the toll wrought by the COVID pandemic on many employers and workers has ranged from the annoying to the excruciating. Jobs were lost, businesses went under, and a lot of people only managed to scrape by with the help of government assistance and some creative maneuvering.
Now that the Orange County economy is fully reopened or at least approaching that benchmark what can we expect in the months ahead?
While trying to make ironclad predictions about the future business climate is a fool’s game, we do have hints about where we’re heading and, thankfully, we now have some reason for optimism.
Orange County Malls Quiet Days Before Christmas
Stay-at-home orders and hard economic times gave some Orange County, California, shoppers a reprieve from the usual mall frenzy just days before Christmas.
The scene at three local malls South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Fashion Island in Newport Beach, and the Irvine Spectrum Center appeared to reveal a more restrained approach to in-person perusing as the holiday neared.
At the Irvine Spectrum Center, where tall palm trees and a Ferris wheel mark the outdoor mall’s expanse between the 5 and 405 interstate freeways, the crowd was light on Dec. 22.
For 28-year-old Cynthia Huelitl, who works in the center, conditions were ideal for making a quick stop at the mall’s Target to meet her Christmas shopping needs.
Experts Bullish on Orange County’s Economy at Chapman Annual Forecast
Southern California’s economic future and particularly Orange County’s is looking bright, experts said during Chapman University’s 43rd annual economic forecast.
“I’m personally confident in the future of Orange County,” Mike Mussallem, CEO of Irvine-based medical technology company Edwards Lifesciences, said during the forecast roundtable held virtually on Dec. 17.
“[My positive assessment is] due to the passionate engagement of many leaders and partners, … the dedicated and generous philanthropic organizations, and … committed and strategic businesses.”
Tapping Into Technology
Mussallem discussed his hopes of moving Orange County away from the tourism-based economy it is today.