By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Blog Traditional analysis and models indicate the economy is essentially at full employment, given the unemployment rate — currently at 5.3% — is in the range of previous estimates of the so-called natural rate, or NAIRU. Historically the Fed, including its models, […]

University of Oregon Regional Economic Indexes By Tim Duy Oregon Economic Forum University of  Oregon   The Oregon Measure of Economic Activity bounced in July, largely on the back of solid employment numbers. Highlights of the report include: – The three-month moving average, which smooths month-to-month volatility in the measure, […]

Many rural Oregon small businesses see cell towers as critical to their business By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon A lack of cell phone towers and reliable Internet service is hurting business in rural Oregon. “We use our cell phones on the farm because we need them to communicate with each […]

by Ralph Cole, CFA Executive Vice President of Research Ferguson Wellman, Portland Never Can Say Goodbye Market volatility has historically increased before and around Fed tightenings and 2015 is apparently no exception. The Federal Reserve has now held short-term interest rates at essentially 0 percent for nearly 7 years. This […]

Comcast press release, Comcast announced the launch of a new 250 Mbps Internet speed tier, Extreme 250, immediately available for purchase. “We’re delighted to offer this new speed option for customers in Oregon & SW Washington.” “Our new Extreme 250 speed provides a superfast connection for online activities such as […]

Oregon at the center of multiple film pirating suit By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation Oregon has become a target state for pirated films. The copyright holders for the Adam Sandler film “The Cobbler” have filed a lawsuit against 11 Oregon internet users for illegally watching the pirated film using […]

Associated Oregon Industries Oregon’s largest business advocate by Betsy Earls The Obama administration, through the U.S. Department of Labor, is on the verge of nearly doubling the salary threshold below which employers would be required to pay overtime. And it doesn’t need Congress’s permission to do so. The proposed changes […]

by Petrich, Kathleen Miller, Nash, Graham & Dunn LLP NW Law Firm Jared Fogle and Subway. The two names went together—Jared became, if not famous, at least well known by his many years as the face (and body) of Subway sandwich shops. And Subway’s famous SUBWAY brand was integrally tied […]

by Jason Norris, CFA,Executive Vice President of Research Ferguson Wellman, Portland A Light in the Black What a week! With concerns about growth in China, continued deterioration of the Chinese equity market and U.S. investors rushed to the sidelines by redeeming over $17 billion in equity mutual funds and ETFs. […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce submitted comments sharply criticizing the administration’s proposed Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) regulation and proposed Department of Labor guidance that would implement Executive Order 13673, “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces.” “This rulemaking steps well outside the bounds of any constitutional […]