By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis What a year it’s been. The good news is that we started the year with the strongest economy we had seen in decades, and we’re ending the year with hope as the vaccines are being delivered. Everything else? Well, I’ve never had […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, Business owners who have fallen behind on their rent payments during the coronavirus pandemic may receive help from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, which is managing the $100 million set aside by state lawmakers for rent relief. But receiving the money may take […]

by Erik Knoder Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s employers reported a total of 1,995,407 jobs during the second quarter of 2020 (April, May, and June). This was a decrease of nearly 200,000 from the previous year and it shows the record-setting drop in the number of jobs that occurred when the […]

Oregon US Attorney Press Release, A U.S. Department of State employee and his spouse pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. The guilty pleas took place before United States District Judge Michael J. McShane. Both defendants will be sentenced on March 18, 2021. Acting Assistant […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today released a compilation of perspectives on the economic recovery. Thirty-seven business leaders, ranging from healthcare to finance and energy to entertainment, shared where their industries are on the K-shaped recovery. Of the 37 responses, 19 (51%) say they are doing […]

By Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, Formal Request Submitted by ORLA for a Dedicated State Relief Fund for Hospitality In Monday’s blog post we referenced the importance of additional relief funds to further support Oregon’s struggling hospitality industry. Yesterday we formally submitted our request for a dedicated relief fund on […]

Vlad Yurlov Policy Analyst at Cascade Policy Institute When businesses fail, they shut down. But when the government shuts down businesses, it simply increases taxes. More than 85% of Oregon businesses will pay higher unemployment insurance rates in 2021. This is after lockdowns and restrictions forced their workers to use […]

Federal Stimulus Update Part 1: What Employers Need to Know About the PPP By Julie Preciado & Chris Morgan Barran Liebman, Oregon law firm On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill into law. The new law helps businesses, nonprofits, and venues that continue to […]

By NFIB, The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association, issued the following statement on behalf of Karen Harned, Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center, following the U.S. Department of Labor’s new rule on independent contractors: “NFIB has long advocated for a straightforward […]

Josh Lehner, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Recently, I was on OPB’s Think Out Loud. Among other things we discussed how many households are doing decent to well this year, even as our lower-income neighbors are struggling with dim job prospects until the pandemic is over. I made a statement […]