COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- An economist for the University of South Carolina is forecasting a recovery for the state in 2010.
USC economist Doug Woodward said Wednesday he expects personal income will improve by about 3.3 percent in the coming year.
But Woodward says recovering lost jobs will take longer. He expects the state's unemployment rate to average around 11.2 percent next year.
He says the figure could be worse for the first part of the year, depending on the spending habits of consumers.
Woodward and others are speaking at the University of South Carolina's 29th annual Economic Outlook Conference.
The session includes a panel discussion titled "Outlook for the Economy 2010: Recovery or Relapse." The panel features economists from the College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina University and Clemson University.
Watch NewsChannel 15 for a full report Wednesday at 6.
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