Archives

December 4, 2013 - Court strikes down controversial labor decision

Barran Liebman Oregon Law Firm Fifth Circuit Strikes Down NLRB’s Controversial DR Horton Decision In a much anticipated decision, the Fifth Circuit reversed the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and held that an employer may require employees to sign an arbitration agreement that precludes collective action claims. D.R. Horton, Incorporated […]


December 4, 2013 - Oregon jobless hit 5 year low!

by David Cooke Oregon Employment Dept. Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 7.7 percent in October, its lowest point since October 2008 when the rate was also 7.7 percent. The rate was 7.8 percent in September and 8.1 percent in August. Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate continued to […]



December 2, 2013 - Where Ore. personal income is gowing

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Blog.. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released 2012 personal income data by county and metropolitan area last week, along with comprehensive revisions to 2001-11 data. Given the local area detail and massive data collection process, this information does come out with […]


November 29, 2013 - 7 Things You May Not Know About Payroll Taxes

By NFIB Payroll taxes are a fact of life, but that doesn’t mean you know all the facts. Any time the federal government, a state government and a small business intersects, there are bound to be nuances. And when it comes to payroll taxes, those details matter; tax authorities take […]


November 27, 2013 - Cap & Trade for Oregon gas?

Associated Oregon industries by John Ledger Low Carbon Fuels May Ignite Next Session Oregon’s attempt to impose a Cap & Trade-like system on gasoline and diesel took a new twist recently when the Ninth Circuit Court sent California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) back to the lower courts. The proponents […]


November 26, 2013 - Ore. minimum wage soars — Expect a $20 Whopper?

By Jan Meekcoms Oregon NFIB (Originally published in Salem Business Journal) Anti-fast-food crusaders rejoice! Your cause is getting some unexpected – and likely unintended – traction from the twin threats to burgers and fries everywhere: Obamacare and the state’s minimum-wage rate. To take the latter first, the minimum wage has […]


November 25, 2013 - Timbers are 3rd Most Valuable – Who is Laughing Now?

Patrick Emerson PhD , OSU Economist Oregon Economics Blog There was some predictable guffawing round about the time Merritt Paulson was contemplating selling the Beavers baseball team and trying to get the city on board with the plan to convert Civic Stadium to a soccer-specific facility.  Soccer, they said, is […]



November 21, 2013 - Latest Data: Oregon stuck in second gear

Patrick Emerson PhD , OSU Economist Oregon Economics Blog Oregon lost 500 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis after posting two very solid monthly gains 3,300 in September and 5,600 in August. Government employment continues to drag on the overall recovery with government jobs declining by 1,000.  The Oregon unemployment […]