The Oregon Business & Industry, The OBI Research and Education Foundation has released a pair of reports this month that contain sobering information about Oregon’s declining economic competitiveness. On Oct. 4, recognized as national Manufacturing Day, the foundation released an analysis of Oregon’s critical manufacturing sector. Prepared by ECOnorthwest, the […]

By U.S. Chamber of Commerce, As part of its ongoing leadership in addressing the nation’s workforce shortage, the U.S. Chamber convened private sector employers, thought leaders, policymakers, and previously incarcerated individuals at Reimagining Futures, the Chamber’s high-profile summit on the economic and social benefits of second chance hiring, held on […]

Sacramento Best Practices Trip offers perspective on Portland’s challenges and opportunities By Portland Metro Chamber, Earlier this month, the Portland Metro Chamber, in collaboration with Greater Portland, Inc., led a delegation of 100 business and civic leaders to Sacramento, California. The goals: to foster connections with our peer region to […]

By: Amy Angel & Lex Shvartsmann Barran Liebman LLP This is your friendly reminder to consider the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) before denying accommodations (including leave) to an employee who is pregnant or has recently given birth. On June 27, 2023, the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went […]

By National Retail Federation The National Retail Federation welcomed open banking regulations issued today by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying the new rules could lead to an alternative to credit card “swipe” fees that cost merchants and their customers billions of dollars each year. “Retailers need to pay close […]

By U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced a federal loan of $2.8 million for Clear Creek Communications to expand high-speed internet access to households, businesses and farms in Clackamas County. “It is more important now than ever to have reliable access to the internet, […]

By Oregon Business & Industry OBI has endorsed the campaign to defeat Measure 118, the costly tax on sales formerly known as Initiative Petition 17. The measure will appear on the November 2024 ballot. If passed, it would enact the largest tax increase of any kind in Oregon history. The […]

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, Eleven restaurants and a wine country venue made Portland’s “Icons” list as selected by Open Table, a restaurant reservation site selecting more than a hundred iconic dining locations in large cities across the nation. On its website, Open Table lists the next available reservations […]

The National Retail Federation, The National Retail Federation forecast that winter holiday spending is expected to grow between 2.5% and 3.5% over 2023. That equates to between $979.5 billion and $989 billion in total holiday spending in November and December, compared with $955.6 billion during the same timeframe last year. […]

AG urges federal judge to remove unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone By Oregon Attorney General Press releases, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is urging a federal judge in Spokane, Washington to rule that the Food & Drug Administration’s restrictions on the abortion medication mifepristone are unnecessary and unlawful, and to order the federal […]