Homeownership lowest in 17 years By Oregon Tax News Reaching the lowest point in 17 years, homeownership dropped to a seasonally adjusted 65.2 percent in the first quarter as more people chose to rent instead of purchase a home. The rate of homeownership peaked at 69.4 percent in 2004, and […]

By Oregon — American Automobile Association AAA’s New Consumer Index Identifies ‘High Gas Price’ Breaking Point Two in three consumers offset high gas prices with driving or lifestyle changes Half of U.S. adults consider gas prices to be “too high” when they reach $3.44 per gallon, indicating a tipping point […]

by Erik A Knoder Oregon Employment Department Our standard analysis of employment by firm size shows that although there are a large number of small firms, most employment is in large firms. But, as with much in statistics, the result of any analysis depends on the assumptions made at the […]

Hobby Lobby, Shoe Firm & Apparel Co. Invade Oregon By Oregon Small Business Association Hobby Lobby In late 2014, Hobby Lobby will open a 61,000 square-foot store in Albany’s Heritage Mall. The Christian-based crafts store currently has 531 stores in 44 states. In April, Hobby Lobby set its minimum wage […]

By Oregon Tax News With 52% of foreclosed homes in the state vacant, Oregon has the fourth highest rate of “zombie foreclosures” in the country. A “zombie foreclosure” is an unoccupied home in foreclosure, but not yet foreclosed. Half of the approximately 2300 Oregon homes in foreclosure, but not yet […]

By Oregon Attorney General Settlement also calls for $400,000 payment to state, agreement to cease doing business in Oregon A Phoenix, Ariz.-based telemarketer that sold a home-based business scheme to more than a hundred Oregonians has agreed to pay full refunds to all of its Oregon customers who file a […]

By Daniel P. Kessler Stanford University Professor of Business California and Oregon have recently announced the premiums for the health plans that will be offered through their ObamaCare insurance exchanges in 2014. Supporters of the law are jubilant. KQED, northern California’s largest public radio station, reported that “experts had warned […]

  Federal Expenditure by Region By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Blog. A common refrain one hears goes along the lines that the U.S. subsidizes rural areas and living, while the metro areas generate more in tax revenue than they receive in benefits, or something along those lines. […]

Ex-Microsoft manager forms coalition for national marijuana rebranding Business News Note, A group of big Washignton State businessmen including former Microsoft manager, Jamen Shively, are working to design the first ever national brand of marijuana. A coalition of dispensaries from Washington, California and Colorado has been formed. For more watch […]

By Oregon Better Business Bureau Better Business Bureau is alerting consumers to the recent upswing in cybercrime dollar losses. The Internet Crime Complaint Center has released its annual report this week and statistics show that cybercrimes bilked consumers for more than $525 million in 2012—an 8.3 percent increase from 2011. […]