2009 Economic Outlook: Ed Friedman, Moody's Economy.com

We all know we're mired in an historic global recession - the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, and it may well prove to be the longest. But when can we hope to escape it? In this exclusive interview, Ed Friedman, a director with Moody's Economy.com, a division of Moody's Analytics, shares fresh insights on: The latest economic signs and what they mean; Unique economic factors for banking institutions to weigh; What to expect from the new Administration in the months ahead. Ed Friedman is a director of Moody's Economy.com. He covers the states of Texas and Minnesota, provides monthly summaries of the U.S. financial industry, and maintains a high-frequency econometric model used to estimate current-quarter GDP. Dr. Friedman also edits monthly regional and macroeconomic publications, is participating in a project to expand metropolitan area forecasting to foreign cities, and manages the work of junior personnel. Now based in the company's West Chester PA office, he previously worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, supervising the collection of data on cross-border transactions in securities. Friedman received a Ph.D. in international economics from Yale University. His bachelor's degree in mathematics is from Dartmouth College.