Dr. Antonio Avalos, economics professor at California State University, Fresno, will discuss “Assessing the Economic Impact of a Living Wage Ordinance in the City of Fresno” during the Economics Colloquium Series on Thursday, April 20, on campus.
His talk, which is free and open to the public, will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the University Business Center Executive Classroom 192 of the Peters Business Building (5245 N. Backer Ave.)
Avalos will present basic concepts related to similar ordinances elsewhere, the living-wage movement around the country and preliminary results of a study he is currently conducting about the impact of a living-wage ordinance in Fresno.
He notes that following a relatively recent trend across the country, a living-wage campaign was launched in Fresno last year by the Community Alliance for a Fair Economy. The proposed ordinance would require anyone contracting with the city for $50,000 or more to pay employees at least $10 per hour and provide health insurance coverage or $11.50 an hour without benefits.
He says that by better understanding the living-wage ordinance, policymakers, employer organizations, labor unions and voters can make informed decisions regarding the impact of such mandates on the local community.
Avalos, who joined the Fresno State economics faculty in 2003, also currently is conducting research to identify the forces shaping the Central Valley’s economy.
He received his Ph.D. in economics from Oklahoma State University with specialization in economic development and international economics. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees at Universidad Popular AutOnoma del Estado de Puebla in Mexico and Oklahoma State University, respectively.
Avalos has spent several years conducting research on workforce and regional economics issues. He started as Herman Kahn Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Indianapolis, Indiana, and later as an external consultant for the institute. Also, he was a visiting scholar at the Andean Corporation of Development in Caracas, Venezuela, where he conducted applied research in international trade, economic development and labor markets in Latin American economies.
For more information, contact Sasan Fayazmanesh by calling 559.278.3916 or via e-mail, sasanf@csufresno.edu.
