2026 Economic Roundtable

Leading Economic Experts Give 2026 San Diego Forecast at Annual Roundtable 42nd Annual San Diego Economic Roundtable Returns with Focus on Building Solutions through Complex Policy, Economic Shifts

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 27, 2026) – How will the rising cost of living, AI adoption and changes to federal funding affect local communities in 2026? On Thursday, Feb. 5, San Diego’s economic and workforce leaders will explore the region’s top challenges and related solutions at the 42nd Annual San Diego Economic Roundtable.

The University of San Diego (USD)’s Knauss School of Business, Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) and San Diego Workforce Partnership will host this free, highly anticipated event under the theme Building Solutions: Policy, Funding and Opportunity Shape San Diego’s Economy.

The event will take place at USD’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, USD students, staff and faculty (registration required).

PIC Chief Economist Daniel Enemark, PhD will serve as the annual event’s keynote speaker. He advocates for a more equitable labor market through his labor market analyses and economic reports. Before joining PIC, Enemark was the chief economist at San Diego Workforce Partnership. He has published peer-reviewed research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, conducted behavioral economics experiments and taught policy evaluation at UCSD and USC. Enemark now leads a team of researchers who help leaders make smart, data-driven decisions – including analyzing the region’s equity gaps, higher education in South County and the state of the local Latino community.

Enemark’s keynote address focuses on what makes San Diego’s economy unique, what external factors will challenge us over the next year, and what local leaders can do to create economic opportunity for more San Diegans.

Following the keynote, a panel of experts will discuss their 2026 economic forecasts, the factors they see contributing to the growth or decline of San Diego’s labor market, and their own hiring activity. Jade Hindmon, host of KPBS Midday Edition, will moderate the panel.

Panelists include Caroline Smith, assistant chief administrative officer for the County of San Diego; Doug Levine, senior director of talent acquisition at UC San Diego Health; and Chee Lum, vice president and general manager of injection systems at BD. For more information about the event and to register for free, visit bit.ly/2026EconomicRoundtable.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home. For more information, visit SanDiego.edu.

About Policy & Innovation Center

The Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) is a think tank and social-impact incubator. PIC conducts research and policy analysis to identify creative solutions to our communities’ biggest problems, and builds cross-sector, multijurisdictional partnerships to advance those solutions. Founding partners include the Brookings Institution, County of San Diego, and San Diego Foundation. For more information, visit ThinkPIC.org.

About San Diego Workforce Partnership

San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) is a quasi-governmental, nonprofit organization that brings together key players from County and City governments, and economic, educational and workforce sectors across the San Diego region. SDWP serves as the designated workforce board for San Diego County and City under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). For more information, visit www.workforce.org.