By NFIB, The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index was unchanged in April, remaining at 93.2 and the fourth consecutive month below the 48-year average of 98. Small business owners expecting better business conditions over the next six months decreased one point to a net negative 50%, the lowest level recorded […]

By Oregon Taxpayers Association Foundation, Oregon still can’t distribute rental assistance. The Oregon Housing and Community Services Department reported it has distributed $319.3 million in emergency rental assistance payments to landlords on behalf of 48,313 Oregon households since the U.S. Treasury made the first federal funds available in May 2021, […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Labor market dynamics are shifting. Job growth will be more balanced across industries. Job gains will moderate in a full employment economy, slowing aggregate wages along the way, which should help lessen some inflationary pressures as well. However, a structural labor shortage […]

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Press Release, Amid numerous allegations of corporations padding their profits by raising prices to gouge consumers, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore.,  urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to ensure Americans are aware they can report suspected price gouging to the FTC, either at ReportFraud.FTC.gov or the […]

Oregon Attroney General Press Release, As part of a country-wide settlement, Attorney General Rosenblum today secured $2.1 million for Oregon from TurboTax, Intuit Inc. (Intuit), for deceiving over 4.6 million consumers nationally into paying for tax services that should have been free. In Oregon, Intuit will send out checks to […]

By National Retail Federation The National Retail Federation urged Visa and Mastercard to cancel credit card swipe fee increases scheduled to take effect this month, citing a letter from both Republican and Democratic members of Congress saying higher fees would add to inflation. “American consumers are struggling under the worst […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Consumer spending on physical goods remains robust. It accelerated earlier in the pandemic as we still had strong household finances but either couldn’t or didn’t want to spend on services like going out to eat, on vacations, performing elective surgeries, and the […]

By Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, ORLA representatives had an opportunity to present an industry update to the seven-member OLCC (Oregon Liquor and Cannabis) Commission last week. The presentation focused on the importance of OLCC staff extending liquor service footprints outdoors through a user friendly online process during Covid, their […]

By Nicole C. Elgin & Nicolas K. Ball Barran Leibman Law, Oregon law firm Posted on April 26, 2022 Employers are seeing a surge in union organization. Despite the overall decrease in the rate of private sector union membership in 2021, unions are all over the headlines. Recent victories by […]

By William MackEnzie The consumer-price index rose 8.5% in March from a year earlier, the fastest annual pace since December 1981, the Wall Street Journal reported on April 20. That’s the figure most consumers think of when they worry about rising prices. But there’s another number too often ignored – […]