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Presented by NCAT, WACA, and NCFCA

Join us for the 2026 Finishing Contractors Economic Forecast, a live webinar designed to give contractors, business owners, and industry leaders a clear, data-driven view of what to expect in the coming year. This exclusive session will help you plan strategically, understand market risks and opportunities, and make informed decisions for your workforce and business operations.

Event Details

Date: January 21st. 2026
Time: 9am -10am 
Format: Virtual Webinar
Cost: Free for all NCPFC, NCGMA, WACA, and NCFCA members. Registration is required.

This year’s webinar will be led by Dr. Christopher Thornberg, one of the nation’s most respected economists and founding partner of Beacon Economics.

About the Webinar

As the construction industry continues to navigate inflation, shifting labor markets, interest rate pressures, and evolving state policies, understanding the economic landscape is more important than ever.
This webinar will provide:

  • A detailed regional and national economic outlook for 2026
  • Construction market trends affecting finishing trades
  • Labor market insights and projections
  • Policy and regulatory impacts to watch
  • Forecasts for demand, investment, and growth in Northern California

Attendees will walk away with practical insights to guide budgeting, staffing, bidding strategies, and long-term planning.

Who Should Attend

This webinar is ideal for:

  • Contractors and subcontractors
  • Business owners and executives
  • Estimators and project managers
  • Labor relations and HR professionals
  • Anyone responsible for planning, budgeting, bidding, or forecasting

If your work touches business strategy, workforce planning, pricing, or operations, this session is designed for you.

Why This Matters

The right economic information can help contractors:

  • Anticipate market slowdowns or accelerations
  • Adjust labor needs proactively
  • Make informed decisions on equipment, bidding, and expansion
  • Respond to policy changes with confidence
  • Prepare for changes in demand and cost structures

For finishing trades—where margins, labor markets, and regulation are uniquely volatile—having a clear outlook is essential.

Featured Speaker

Dr. Christopher Thornberg
Founding Partner, Beacon Economics

Dr. Christopher Thornberg has been called many things throughout his career, but his favorite thing to be called is correct. 

Notably, he predicted the collapse of the sub-prime real estate bubble in 2006 and the Great Recession that followed. During the Covid-19 pandemic he was one of the few economists on record to correctly push back against the forecasting community’s panicked predictions of a depression. In the past two years, he has again stood against the grain, and stood out, for accurately forecasting that there would be no recession.

Dr. Thornberg left a teaching position at UCLA’s Business School in 2006 to found Beacon Economics, and under his leadership, the firm has become one of the nation’s most respected economic research organizations. He consults globally for private industry, cities, counties, and public agencies. A dynamic public speaker, he challenges audiences to question popular narratives – and to ask the right economic questions.