by Erik Knoder Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s employers reported a total of 1,995,407 jobs during the second quarter of 2020 (April, May, and June). This was a decrease of nearly 200,000 from the previous year and it shows the record-setting drop in the number of jobs that occurred when the […]

Oregon US Attorney Press Release, A U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The guilty pleas took place before United States District Judge Michael J. McShane. Both defendants will be sentenced on March 18, 2021. Acting Assistant […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today released a compilation of perspectives on the economic recovery. Thirty-seven business leaders, ranging from healthcare to finance and energy to entertainment, shared where their industries are on the K-shaped recovery. Of the 37 responses, 19 (51%) say they are doing […]

By Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, Formal Request Submitted by ORLA for a Dedicated State Relief Fund for Hospitality In Monday’s blog post we referenced the importance of additional relief funds to further support Oregon’s struggling hospitality industry. Yesterday we formally submitted our request for a dedicated relief fund on […]

Vlad Yurlov Policy Analyst at Cascade Policy Institute When businesses fail, they shut down. But when the government shuts down businesses, it simply increases taxes. More than 85% of Oregon businesses will pay higher unemployment insurance rates in 2021. This is after lockdowns and restrictions forced their workers to use […]

Federal Stimulus Update Part 1: What Employers Need to Know About the PPP By Julie Preciado & Chris Morgan Barran Liebman, Oregon law firm On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill into law. The new law helps businesses, nonprofits, and venues that continue to […]

By NFIB, The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association, issued the following statement on behalf of Karen Harned, Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center, following the U.S. Department of Labor’s new rule on independent contractors: “NFIB has long advocated for a straightforward […]

Josh Lehner, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Recently, I was on OPB’s Think Out Loud. Among other things we discussed how many households are doing decent to well this year, even as our lower-income neighbors are struggling with dim job prospects until the pandemic is over. I made a statement […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, Multifamily Northwest, a group of landlords contending that renters are between $800 million and $900 million behind in payments, filed a lawsuit in federal court against Oregon State, Multnomah County, and the city of Portland. The suit was filed after the Oregon State Legislature approved […]

Main Street Mayors Coalition Press Release, Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam hosted a virtual meeting of Main Street Mayors across Oregon who represent communities whose business owners are ready to open safely in a way that strikes a balance between slowing the spread of COVID and preventing irreversible economic destruction of […]