By Bill Conerly, Oregon Economist Businomics, Conerly Consulting LLC The economy is still headed down.  The best monthly look at the economy’s current state involves the four coincident indicators.  These tend to move up and down as the overall economy moves up or down.  Consequently, the folks who determine business […]

Oregon Employment Department: Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 12.0 percent in April compared with 11.9 percent (as revised) in March. The state’s unemployment rate remains well above its year-ago level of 5.6 percent in April 2008. Since falling to a cyclical low of 5.0 percent in […]

ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN WIDESPREAD AMONG STATES IN 2008 Advance 2008 and Revised 2005–2007 GDP–by–State Statistics. New statistics released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show that economic growth slowed in most states and regions of the U.S. in 2008 as economic growth overall slowed. Real GDP growth slowed in […]

With Oregon as the 2nd highest unemployment in the nation, the lingering economic downturn raises an important question for businesses and workers:  is it better to cut hours and salaries instead of jobs? According to a recent Business Roundtable survey, 71% of CEOs plan more layoffs in the next six […]

By Bill Conerly, Oregon Economist Businomics, Conerly Consulting LLC Along with a number of other indicators, the attitudes of CEOs are improving, according to data from Chief Executive magazine.

By BIZ Report, The new Alliance of Oregon Business Associations scored a defeat of a business tax plan in the Senate on Wednesday.  The group was formed just before Session began under the leadership of Associated Oregon Industries.  At issue was HB 3405-9 which raised the $10 corporate minimum tax […]

US Bureau of Labor: On the last business day of April, job openings in the U.S. numbered 2.5 million, which is the job openings level’s lowest point since the series began in December 2000. Since the most recent peak in June 2007, when there were 4.8 million job openings, the […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, According to the New York Times, the European Commission’s recent antitrust ruling and record $1.45 billion fine of the chip maker was misguided and mistaken and anti-competition. “By any reasonable application of a consumer-harm test, the antitrust claim that Intel is driving down prices—and so […]

Mining -9% Manufacturing, durable goods -6% Education and health services -4% Government -4% Information -4% Transportation and utilities -3% Manufacturing, nondurable goods 0% Other services 0% Construction +2% MarketWatch.com: