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 […]

by Brooke Jackson-Winegardner Oregon Employment Department Teens looking for work face tough prospects during this summer’s hiring season. Not only are there fewer jobs available because of the current recession, but there is also a host of skilled, experienced older workers flocking to fill any job opening that comes up, […]

Chambers to Help Oregon Rx Card Provide Prescription Assistance to All Residents By Oregon State Chamber of Commerce The Oregon State Chamber of Commerce (OSCC) announced a new partnership with the Oregon Rx Card today. The goal of the joint venture is to provide all Oregon residents with prescription assistance. […]

Oregon voters, like legislators, should have the right to simply vote “yes” or “no” By Alliance of Oregon’s Business Associations, Each member of the Alliance supports Oregon’s Initiative and Referendum Process. While each of our organizations has won and lost our fair share of elections, we are steadfast in our […]