Building Permits in Oregon by Felicia Bechtoldt Oregon Workforce and Economic Information Oregon’s population continues to grow, led by migration to the state. Housing availability for both buyers and renters has become a concern in many local areas.

NFIB Tells Senate Finance that Tax Reform Must Start with Small Business By Jack Mozloom National Federation of Independent Business Small businesses need rate parity, lower taxes, simplified code, says National Federation of Independent Business The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) told the Senate Finance Committee today that no […]

by Mark Hester Oregon Business & Industry The Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Unfunded Actuarial Liability (UAL) Task Force described each of its first two meetings as “brainstorming,” but it’s already clear that most of the proposals discussed so far would create a storm of controversy. Perhaps, that is unavoidable […]

Oregon Metro Incomes by Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis As our office continues to upack the latest Census data, we will share some of the findings here, and in our quarterly forecast presentations and documents. Today, a quick look at household incomes across Oregon’s metropolitan areas. We will […]

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, Social media has given small businesses a way to vent everyday frustrations. This was found especially true as nearly 3,000 people have liked a story about a Portland doughnut shop confronting thieves who stole a coffee mug. Here is a synopsis of the story […]

Oregon retailers need help in drug, theft law reforms By Oregon Prosperity Project A panel of retail and law enforcement representatives discussed recent trends related to drug laws, sentencing reform and retail theft at the Council of State Retail Association’s (CSRA) Annual Meeting in Portland earlier this month.

Retailers Cite Equifax As Need For Uniform Data Breach Law J. Craig Shearman National Retail Federation “Hackers do not discriminate as to the type of business they attack.” The National Retail Federation and other industry associations are telling Congress that any new federal law on data breach notification should apply […]

Governor Brown Wants Oregonians to “Take One for the Global Team” over CO2 By John A. Charles, Jr. Cascade Policy Institute Oregon Governor Kate Brown has announced her intention to pass legislation in the short session of 2018 to place a regulatory limit on emissions of carbon dioxide by large […]

Oregon Payrolls Dropped 9,500 Jobs in August Via Oregon Workforce and Economic Information In August, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment dropped by 9,500 jobs, following a revised gain of 7,400 in July. This was the first seasonally adjusted decline in seven months.

Whose Money Is Your Oregon Kicker Refund? By Steve Buckstein and Kathryn Hickok Cascade Policy Institute State economists have confirmed that individual Oregon income taxpayers will receive kicker refunds next year. Based on the May revenue forecast, more than $463 million will be returned to taxpayers as a credit on […]