Occasional handyman is an employee for Oregon unemployment tax purposes Ater Wynne LLP NW Law frim The Oregon Court of Appeals held that a handyman was an employee, and not an independent contractor, for unemployment tax purposes. Under Oregon law, an independent contractor must be both “free from direction and […]

From Patrick Emerson Oregon Economics Blog From the New York Times with an accompanying article about taxes and services. Not sure we want to be Italy, yikes, but Germany always makes an interesting comparator: high income country with a humming economy and yet a cripplingly high tax burden. Go figure.

By Guest Opinion, A Nashville firm, Red Pepper, is expanding the use of facial recognition software to whole new level in a test project called Facedeals. By using store cameras with facial-recognition technology connected to Facebook to access a consumer’s profile in order to email them instant deals to their […]

Governor Jerry Brown has authroized this summer fast tracking of the process to build Apple Computer’s new headquarters in Cupertino California. The project will be a sprawling 175 acre campus. Read more here

By Keelin Curran Stoel Rives LLP, Oregon Law Firm Ahead of Schedule Blog As most Seattle employers know by now and as we blogged about earlier, beginning September 1, 2012, the City of Seattle will require that all but the smallest employers provide paid sick leave to their Seattle employees. […]

Bookends: “The New Geography of Jobs” by Michael Hendrix  U.S. Chamber of Commerce [Excerpt] To economist Enrico Moretti, where you live matters more than ever. And it matters ultimately because of you. In his book The New Geography of Jobs, Moretti unpacks the forces that are reshaping America. Whereas the […]

Oregon Employment, Public Sector Trends By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Blog Another monthly employment report was released this morning by the Oregon Employment Department. In July 2012, the unemployment rate increased to 8.7% from 8.5% and the state gained 1,800 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis. As […]

By Oregon Better Business Bureau This fall, election scammers will be targeting unsuspecting voters. Better Business Bureau warns ballot-casters to be on the lookout for phony political donation requests, voter registration verifications, prize incentives for surveys, and tax credits or government-sponsored grants for economic recovery. “While politicians are lobbying for […]

Health Care Reform – What Have You Paid, What’s Next? By Betsy Earls By Associated Oregon Industries Oregon’s largest business advocate Now that the Supreme Court has cleared the way for continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it is time to review the changes the law has already […]

“Light Touch” Internet Regulation is the Key to Oregon’s Digital Future By Tom Gurr, Pacific Technology Alliance A recent article in The Oregonian touted Oregon’s booming tech sector while simultaneously issuing a warning of its “schizophrenic state.” The article demonstrates that Silicon Forest has shown much promise; venture capital investments […]