Carroll: 2012 economic growth to be slow and steady

With unemployment hitting nearly 20 percent in Rock Hill and still lingering in the double digits in the tri-county, nationally recognized economist Larry Carroll said last night it’s up to local business leaders to sift through the rhetoric in the media when it comes to gaining confidence in the national economy.

Carroll spoke before more than a hundred local business owners and tells WRHI that a great deal of that confidence depends on the political climate.

Carroll says that part of the problem is that inquiring minds not only don’t know who the next President will be — they’ve yet to find out who will be the final GOP nominee.

Carroll serves on the board of Wells Fargo Bank. He says from his perspective, there’s a lot of rhetoric flying around in the national media that is also stunting economic growth, but he does say 2012 will be a year of solid, slow, but consistent growth.

Carroll tells WRHI that the talking heads in the national media led to knee-jerk decisions that hampered growth and an economic rebound in 2011.

Carroll spoke Monday night at Winthrop University.

Full interview: [audio: 0220-Carroll-Full.mp3]