Q&A with Mark Burles, Senior Vice President Ipsos Public Affairs , Seattle Should US business be concerned over the recent Obama tire tariff? Burles: Absolutely. The last thing the global economy needs is for a trade war to erupt between the US and China. That said, it is a complicated […]

USA Today Reports, “Housing is getting even less affordable.  More Americans found housing unaffordable last year, even though home prices across the U.S. have taken a major fall. More than 40 million spent 30% or more of their household income on housing costs, 600,000 more than in 2007, according to […]

Understanding, Addressing, and Resolving Bullying Behavior in Your Workplace By Dunn, Carney, Allen, Higgins & Tongue Bullying in the workplace is a common, and often misunderstood problem.  In a 2007 survey, half of the employees interviewed said they had heard someone scream at a co-worker during work.  Almost one-third acknowledged […]

From Businessweek, “Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said she wants to cut state spending by another $15 billion and reduce California’s existing state work force by 17 percent, even as the state has wrestled with budget shortfalls in recent years that have led to deep cuts in education and other […]

By Dr. Eric Fruits Econinternational

Final Health Care Reform Bill Released: Let the Reconciliation Begin Barran Liebman LLP The Senate Finance Committee officially released its health care bill, the last of the 5 bills to be introduced in the health care debate. This alert focuses on the impacts on employer based health insurance and not […]

By Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 12.2 percent in August from the revised July figure of 11.8 percent. Oregon’s unemployment rate has been close to 12 percent for the six month period March through August, following a steep run-up during the prior nine months. Oregon’s […]

From Career Builders: Counting down the hours until payday? You’re not alone. As the economic downturn trudges on, many workers are struggling with household budgets. Six-in-ten (61 percent) workers report they always or usually live paycheck to paycheck just to make ends meet, up from 49 percent last year and […]

José Pinomesa, President Oregon Independent Auto Dealers Association It is a fact that it is going to cost more to own a vehicle in Oregon.  During this past legislative session Oregon passed a bill that would increase the vehicle fuel tax.  Even currently at $2.89 a gallon for regular unleaded […]

The Wall Street Journal reports, “Housing starts climbed a less-than-expected 1.5% to a seasonally adjusted 598,000 annual rate compared to the prior month, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Building permits also increased last month.  Single-family starts in August compared to the prior month retreated 3.0% to 479,000, a modest pullback […]