Bureau of Economic Analysis: Real spending on travel and tourism declined at an annual rate of 5.9 percent in 2009:1 after decreasing 6.9 percent (revised) in 2008:4.  By comparison, real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased 5.7 percent (preliminary) in 2009:1 after a decrease of 6.3 percent in 2008:4.

652 Businesses Nationwide Being Served with Audit Notices By Dunn, Carney, Allen, Higgins & Tongue WASHINGTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is launching a bold, new audit initiative today by issuing Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 652 businesses nationwide – which is more than ICE issued throughout all […]

From Real Clear Markets (AP) Jeannine Aversa — “Employers cut a larger-than-expected 467,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate climbed to a 26-year high of 9.5 percent. Workers also saw weekly wages fall, suggesting Americans will have little appetite to spend and the economy’s road to recovery will be […]

As the nation debates health care reform, real life examples of what rural communities face are evident and reoccurring.   Kevin Gaboury wrote in the Central Oregonian that the Oregon town of Prineville is losing their Obstetric services. “By the end of the year, babies will no longer be born […]

By Bill Conerly, Oregon Economist Businomics, Conerly Consulting LLC I’ve been saying that consumer spending would soon increase.  It has not happened yet, but consumers are now in position to get going.  The key concept is that consumers have not been income constrained, as a group.  In the aggregate, they […]

By Patrick Emerson Oregon Economics Blog In my search for the perfect car to replace my current one, I have stated that I am in no hurry: mine is pretty fuel efficient, relatively low-mileage and has been a great car to own and drive. Above is a picture of the […]

US Senator Jeff Merkley Press Release, Lake Oswego, OR – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley announced today at a meeting of Clackamas County Chambers of Commerce that he will introduce the Small Business Jump Start Act to encourage job creation and support small business owners by cutting taxes for the start-up […]

By J.L. Wilson – 6/26/09 Associated Oregon Industries Oregon’s largest business lobby The legislature earlier this week abandoned Governor Ted Kulongoski’s proposal to siphon $50 million from the state’s Unemployment Trust Fund to fund a temporary summer jobs program. As late as last week, it appeared that AOI was facing […]

Timothy Duy Director, Oregon Economic Forum The UO Index fell slightly in May, down 0.1 percentage points.  The relative stability over the past three months, however, is a welcome relief after many months of steady decline and is consistent with a recent pattern of economic stabilization, both state and nationwide.  […]

By Bill Conerly, Conerly Consulting LLC, Businomics Some friends have been debating the role of housing prices in consumer spending, stimulated by two recent articles in the Wall Street Journal’s Real Time Economics blog.  First, Charles Calomiris, Stanley Longhofer and William Miles wrote that effect of housing wealth on consumption […]