Archives

August 19, 2011 - 30% chance of a another recession?

Probability of Recession: Is It Really One in Three? By Bill Conerly, Conerly Consulting, Businomics Larry Summers recently wrote in the Washington Post: On the current policy path, it would be surprising if growth were rapid enough to reduce unemployment even to 8.5 percent by the end of 2012…. With […]


August 18, 2011 - What the 54.5 MPG rule means for cars and owners

By Jose Mesa José Mesa Auto Wholesale, LLC It takes a lot to get a cars average up to 54.5 MPG. This is a huge increase from where we are today and to put it into perspective that is about double. We all want better fuel economy but getting there […]


August 17, 2011 - Facebook and facial recognition software

Recent study shows technology’s power to access sensitive personal data By Oregon Tax News Those concerned about privacy may want to think twice before posting pictures to their Facebook or Google+ personal page. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh were able to access sensitive personal information from a single […]


August 16, 2011 - The story behind the closing of the historic View Point Inn

Fire and Financial Woes Close Historic View Point Inn By Oregon Small Business Association An accidental fire at the historic View Point Inn and Restaurant overlooking the Columbia River Gorge left the Inn’s future in limbo. The fire apparently started when a spark from the chimney ignited the roof on […]


August 15, 2011 - The S&P downgrade is a non-event

By Patrick Emerson Oregon Economics Blog The whole S&P downgrade is that the S&P action was essentially a non-action. There is no new information out there that they revealed, they simply gave their opinion about the chance of a US default which is slightly higher now that Washington has revealed […]


August 14, 2011 - Survey: Summer makes workers elss productive

One-in-Four Employers Say Their Workers are Less Productive in Summer CareerBuilder Survey · Nearly half of employers think workers at their organization are currently burned out on their jobs. CHICAGO, July 28, 2011 – As stifling heat waves continue to bear down on much of the United States, many workers […]



August 12, 2011 - Portland Home Prices Continue Steady Decline

Portland Home Prices Continue Steady Decline By Oregon Tax News Housing figures for the first half of this year are in, and the numbers aren’t good for the Portland Metro area. According Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, Portland’s home prices declined 9.2 in April 2011 compared to April 2010—the […]


August 11, 2011 - Oregon index sees 3rd straight month of decline

By Tim Duy, Oregon Economic Forum The University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators™ fell 0.5 percent to 90.5 (1997=100) in June 2011, compared to a revised 90.9 the previous month. This is the third consecutive monthly decline.  Highlights of the report include: • Labor markets remained weak. Initial unemployment […]


August 10, 2011 - NLRB proposes union “Quickie Elections”

NLRB Ramps up Pro-Union Rulemaking on “Quickie Elections” By J.L. Wilson Associated Oregon Industries Some AOI members may be aware of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) current “quickie election” rulemaking, but for those of you who aren’t, we’d like to offer you a summary of the NLRB’s proposed changes […]