By US Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said he has introduced a bipartisan bill that would protect recovery payments provided in the recent CARES Act pandemic response legislation from garnishment by private debt collectors. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis. Relief was intended for struggling families, not predatory […]

One-quarter of small-business borrowers anticipate needing additional help By Oregon NFIB, As applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans slow, the nation’s leading small-business association today released the results of a comprehensive survey of its members about how these loans are being used, the effect they’re having, and challenges owners […]

By US Chamber of Commerce, American businesses are working hard to take measures to protect their employees and customers amid the COVID-19 crisis, however the risk of opportunistic lawsuits poses a significant barrier in their ability to bounce back from the economic crisis. As businesses start to reopen, employers simply […]

By Oregon Employment Department, COVID-19 Impact April seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are not available for Oregon counties due to processing delays caused by large increases in unemployment. Not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are being used for this news release. They reflect April’s increase in unemployment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis released the latest quarterly economic and revenue forecast. For the full document, slides and forecast data please see our main website. Below is the forecast’s Executive Summary. While the Covid-19 outbreak has injected a great deal […]

By Dr. Eric Fruits Cascade Policy Institute Many Oregon businesses are looking forward toward May 15. That’s the day the state expects to ease some of Governor Kate Brown’s COVID-19 “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order. But, many businesses are considering whether they should they re-open at all. Dakine is closing […]

By Gabrielle Hansen & Jeff Robertson Barran Law Firm The legal and regulatory response to COVID-19 continues to modify the compliance landscape for employers, and this includes new requirements and options for employer-sponsored health and retirement plans. Read on to learn more about some of the recent changes. Flexibility for […]

US Senator Ron Wyden Wyden, Merkley Introduce Bill to Help Non-profits during Pandemic Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are introducing legislation that would help nonprofit organizations in Oregon and nationwide meet an increase in demand for their services due to the coronavirus […]

By Rachel Dawson Cascade Policy Institute Oregon, it’s about time we talk about nuclear power. No, I don’t mean major reactors like PGE’s decommissioned Trojan Nuclear Plant which shuttered in 1992. Rather, I’m talking about small modular reactors (SMRs) which are experiencing rapid development and receiving great international interest. Countries […]

By Josh Lehner Office of Economic Analysis The Oregon Employment Department has been doing a good job every week publishing the latest data and providing insights into who is applying for unemployment insurance. As seen in the chart, the first wave of initial claims from the COVID-19 recession is thankfully […]