February 22, 2022 By Heather J. Van Meter Bullard Law The easing of COVID restrictions around the country amid discussion of “living with COVID” will require employers to be more vigilant in many ways while simultaneously attempting to return to normal or a new normal. Some employers need workers back […]

By Portland Business Alliance, Portland Business Alliance releases its annual State of the Economy report This annual update on the state of our region’s economy, led by the Alliance in partnership with ECONorthwest and presented by Bank of America, marks yet again an unprecedented moment. For more information, please contact: […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office Economic Analysis, Demand for housing is very strong. Vacancy rates are falling, home sales are rising, and while new construction activity is increasing some, in the big picture it is relatively steady here in Oregon. The lack of a sustained supply response in housing in […]

By Oregon Taxpayers Association Foundation Anyone pumping a vehicle with gas knows the prices have soared—hitting a 10-year record—and they’re much higher on the West Coast than anywhere else in the nation. In Portland, where the price of a gallon of gas hit $3.98, motorists soon may see the city’s […]

By NFIB NFIB filed an amicus brief at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the case The Atlanta Opera, Inc. In this extremely consequential case, the NLRB will reconsider its current standard for determining independent contractor status of workers and weigh whether to return to a more-stringent Obama-era standard. […]

By Oregon US Attorney Office, News Release Portland Man Charged After Attempting to Open Emergency Exit on Portland-Bound Flight PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man is facing federal charges after attempting to open an emergency exit on a commercial airline flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Portland. Michael Brandon Demarre, 32, […]

  By Josh Lehner Oregon office of Economic Analysis, The inflationary economic boom continues. The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace last year since the early 1980s. This is true even after adjusting for the current bout of high inflation. More of the same is expected this year. Labor […]

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, Although a beast on the football field, former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch yielded to a Portland chef in a battle over the name of his new restaurant. Last fall, Lynch and Hawaiian chef Kevin Kama’aina leased property at 1445 S.W. Broadway in […]

By Oregon Business and Industry “The March revenue forecast shows that tax collections continue to exceed previous forecasts,” said OBI President and CEO Angela Wilhelms Feb. 9. “Meanwhile, general fund revenue for the current biennium is expected to top the December forecast by almost $790 million, bringing the total biennial […]

  By Christine M. Zinter Bullard Law, With tax season right around the corner, employers may find themselves suddenly fielding inquiries about two new Portland taxes that became effective January 1, 2021 and will first be due April 15, 2022. In May 2020, voters in the greater Portland Metropolitan District* […]