Black Friday & Cyber Monday: Some Quick Facts •    Black Friday spending rose 0.5%, ($54 million), to $10.7 billion, this year from last year. •    Online sales up 17% (Thurs. to  Sun.)  over the same period last year. •    Cyber Monday up 11%, more than they did a year ago. […]

By Tim Duy, Oregon Economic Forum The University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators rose 0.6 percent in October to 85.0 from a revised September figure of 84.5.  The behavior of the UO Index suggests that the recession has ended in Oregon; the measure of recession probability developed by University […]

9th Circuit: Independent Contractor Can Assert Disability Claim Under Rehabilitation Act Stoel Rives LLP, Attorneys at Law by Dennis Westlind The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled recently that an independent contractor may assert a disability claim against an employer under the Rehabilitation Act.  Click the link to read the […]

New Laws Add to Employer’s Challenges in the New Year By Dunn, Carney, Allen, Higgins & Tongue In January 2010, Oregon employers will be taking on several new challenges thanks to a host of new or expanded laws enacted by the Oregon Legislature.  Dunn Carney’s Employment & Labor Team is […]

It Could Happen: Oregon’s Attorney General Announces Environmental Crimes Enforcement Unit By Christopher Rycewicz, Brian T. Sniffen Miller Nash LLP, Oregon and Washington Law Firm After less than one year on the job, Oregon Attorney General John Kroger appears close to fulfilling one of his campaign promises: increased prosecution of […]

By Wells Fargo Bank, Faced with an uncertain economy, some business owners are re-evaluating their use of technology. The latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, surveyed October 5-9, shows over half of respondents (58 percent) reporting that they have delayed technology purchases due to the economy, including purchases of new […]

Treasurer Westlund seeks more transparency for investors about climate risks to companies By Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund, SALEM – In life and investing, there’s a truism that “What you don’t know can hurt you.” Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund is asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to reduce that […]

Holiday shoppers will get an early start this year whether they are ready or not.  Retail giants have embarked on an advertising spending spree in an attempt to lure bargain shoppers to their stores earlier this year, signaling the economy may be on the rebound. Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Gap […]

by Jessica Nelson Oregon Employment Department The number of working poor in the United States increased slightly between 2006 and 2007. The working poor are individuals who were in the labor force for at least 27 weeks during the year, but still had incomes below the official poverty level. About […]

By Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting, This recession has shaken people up, but what will be the lasting effects on consumer behavior?  That’s one of the key questions as we look forward at the nature of the recovery.  I’ve been arguing for a “return to normalcy,” in which people will […]