March 1998: What will the Future Bring?
As fiscal 1998 unfolds, alarming events in the PR economy have taken place, threatening lower economic growth in 1998 and 1999. Forty-nine manufacturing companies have either announced or closed operations on the island, a reduction of almost 7,000 jobs. American Airlines announced its decision to move its hub to Miami. Chase Manhattan Bank sold its loan portfolio to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya and will thereby close its operations in Puerto Rico. Contents of this issue assesses the behavior of the economy in fiscal 1997 and the impact of these events on the future growth rates of real GNP, exports, investment, consumption, government expenditures, unemployment, and inflation, among others.