National Restaurant Association Press Release, The restaurant industry’s sales recovery stalled in October, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Eating and drinking places* registered sales of $55.6 billion on a seasonally-adjusted basis in October, which was down from September’s volume of $55.7 billion. October represented the first […]

By Josh Lehner, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis While the economic recovery continues, the virus remains in control. Expectations were already that growth would slow noticeably over the colder, wetter months ahead. The latest surge in COVID cases all but ensures it. Businesses and consumers are likely to pull back […]

Creation of a $75 Million Hospitality Relief Fund is Needed for Industry to Survive Jason Brandt, President & CEO, Oregon Restaurant Lodging Association Wilsonville, OR– Another shutdown of Oregon’s restaurants, bars and foodservice establishments is crippling an already broken and damaged industry.  While other industries in Oregon have experienced revenue […]

Oregon NFIB, From Anthony Smith, Oregon state director for NFIB, the state’s largest small-business association. “It’s frustrating that while the governor and state agencies have identified informal social gatherings as the primary driver of recent COVID-19 case increases in Oregon, these new restrictions are again targeting businesses. “Since the beginning […]

Wall Street Editorial Board November 11, 2020 Democrats and unions in California are shell-shocked. Voters last Tuesday rejected a referendum that would have allowed racial preferences in state hiring and college admissions, defeated a massive business property tax hike, and rescued tens of thousands of gig economy jobs. What is […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, The global spike in coronavirus cases is paying off for a manufacturing company in Gresham, which has switched from creating recycled containers to making N96 masks and face shields. D6 Inc. in East Multnomah County shifted its business focus to fulfill the need for personal […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon office of Economic Analysis Stories about pandemic migration and working from home abound, even as we are months away from any hard data. This can be a struggle, balancing these anecdotes and speculation when we lack any real evidence. And the issue isn’t that these things […]

Employer Guide to Oregon OSHA Temporary COVID-19 Rule & OHA Statewide Mask, Face Covering, and Face Shield Guidance By Kathryn M. Hindman Bullard Law, The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) response to the pandemic has been to rely on the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1)) to address and […]

By US Chamber of Commerce If the election shows anything, it’s that the American democratic process is alive and well. There was historically high turnout with many voting ahead of time. By one estimate, more than 160 million people voted in this presidential election, some 67% of the voting-eligible population—the […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis This started with a seemingly basic question: “Why is public sector employment down so much this year?” The normal pattern we see is that the public sector is more of a stabilizing force in the economy. Job losses and budget cuts come […]