PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island has moved past the worst of the coronavirus economic downtown, but it may be years before things get back to what is considered normal, University of Rhode Island economist Len Lardaro says.
“For Rhode Island, we weren’t doing terribly well before the pandemic hit,” he said Monday. “My own prediction was that by the end of 2020 there was a better than 50/50 chance Rhode Island would have entered a recession.”
He said the state wasn’t prepared.
“I’m thinking three to five years for Rhode Island before we get back,” Lardaro said.
The economic recovery also depends on whether a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, he said.
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