By NFIB, Small business owners reported a record high reading of unfilled job openings with 49% of owners reporting job openings they could not fill in July, according to NFIB’s monthly jobs report. Unfilled job openings have remained far above the 48-year historical average of 22%. “Small business owners struggled […]

By Charlotte Hodde & Amy Angel Barran Liebman, Oregon Law Firm Earlier this week, federal health agencies released guidance for many employers about the long-term health effects of COVID-19 in the workplace. Health professionals have identified “long COVID” as a new medical condition that afflicts people for many months after […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, Popular fast-food chain, Taco Bell, is facing ingredient shortages. CBS News reports Taco Bell declined to specify what items were in short supply and how wide-ranging the problems might be, but said, “Due to national transportation delays happening throughout most of the industry, we may […]

US Attorney, Oregon District Press Release, A former certified public accountant and former chief financial officer of a McMinnville, Oregon company was sentenced to federal prison today for evading $99,000 in personal income taxes. Kent Jensen, 58, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. […]

US Senator Ron Wyden, Press Release Wyden, Tillis and Whitehouse Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Combat Counterfeit Court Orders The Digital Authenticity for Court Orders Act Uses Proven, Secure Technology to Fight Criminals and Scammers Peddling Forged Orders Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore, with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., […]

By National Retail Federation, Consumers plan to spend record amounts for both school and college supplies as families and students plan to return to in-person classrooms this fall, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. “The pandemic forced parents and […]

By Nicole Elgin & Andrew Schpak Barran Liebman Law On July 27, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced that it is recommending universal mask use for all public indoor settings, including for fully vaccinated people. OHA explained: “the use of face masks provides significant protection for individuals who are […]

By Oregon Employment Department, In June 2021, all but two of Oregon’s counties experienced over-the-month decreases in their unemployment rates. The unemployment rate in Sherman County did not change, and in Lake County it increased by 0.1 percentage point. Clatsop, Multnomah, and Wheeler counties saw the largest decrease over the […]

By US Senator Ron Wyden Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) said today he has introduced legislation with U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) that would help financially support local news organizations through tax credits to incentivize hiring more journalists, subscriptions, and advertising from local small businesses. […]

By Naomi D. Johnson & Liani J. Reeves Bullard Law Oregon law firm The Oregon State Legislature adjourned its 2021 session at the end of June, but not before passing a slew of bills, some of which bring noteworthy changes for Oregon employers. Many of the new laws and updates […]