Economy
By Tim Duy, Senior Director, Oregon Economic Forum, Professor of Practice A better than expected labor report supported another leg up for Wall Street as it was the latest piece of evidence that the worst of the downturn is behind us. While that is most likely true, note that there are crosscurrents in the economy that…
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By Michael H. Shuman Everyone knows that the three, multi-trillion-dollar stimulus bills passed by Congress fall way short. For most local businesses—the lifeblood of our economy—these bills offer too little relief, too late. I’m hopeful though that the states (and maybe, in some places, counties and cities) can rise to the challenge of saving these businesses.…
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By Tony Dutzik The emergence of the novel coronavirus has been a shock to our health care system, our economic system, our communities, our relationships and our psyches. What makes some of those systems more able to absorb, respond and rebuild from shocks than others? Two incidents last week got me thinking about that question.…
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There are a handful of mainstream economic values that are part of the consensus of America public policy discourse. The value of growth, for example, is not seriously questioned by anyone wanting to maintain their credibility. I’ve been in countless city council meetings where some ridiculous notion was being pursued merely because it offered the…
Read MoreGreetings from the Ashland Chamber and Travel Ashland, Information about COVID-19 and resources has been moving rapidly. Here is today’s latest update: Today, Jackson and Josephine Counties have been named in the eligible disaster areas for SBA Disaster Loan Assistance. Though the Governor has yet to designate Oregon an official disaster area, our counties have been included in the California…
Read MoreNews and Information from Oregon International Port of Coos Bay For Immediate Release: March 18, 2020 Coos Bay, OR – The impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are being felt across the globe. As the State of Oregon and this community prepare for potential impacts, it is critical that as a community we remain focused…
Read MoreAs the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce, we’re all about promoting and advancing the cause of local member businesses and doing all we can to make Florence the best place to live, work, shop, eat, play, and stay. At the same time, we all need to take the highest level of precaution for the sake…
Read MoreNEWS RELEASE For immediate release: Tuesday, March 4, 2020 (Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is a powerful economic engine for its region, responsible for a total of $282.5 million in annual output in Jackson County, according to a recent economic impact study by Portland-based consulting firm ECONorthwest. SOU also is responsible for a total of…
Read MoreFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 2, 2020 Today Business Oregon announced investments in ten rural community projects throughout Oregon under the Rural Opportunities Initiative. The Rural Opportunity Initiative (ROI) is an initiative that works with communities to cultivate local environments that support entrepreneurs and small businesses. Through financial support, innovative partnerships, network expansion, and access to business…
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By michael.milstein@noaa.gov at www.noaa.gov/ NOAA Fisheries has issued a final biological opinion on construction and operation of the Jordan Cove terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon, and the associated 229-mile long Pacific Connector Liquid Natural Gas pipeline. After conducting a thorough review, NOAA scientists determined that the proposed action does not jeopardize protected species or adversely…
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By Tim Duy DUY@UOREGON.EDU If you were looking for something exciting out of this labor report, you were disappointed. Mostly it is is a continuation of recent trends that will encourage the Fed to retain their basic optimism while providing them no reason to change course. Probably most important for policy was the weak nominal…
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By Michael McGinn It is a recurring trend, occasionally rising to craze, to imagine that cities will be transformed by technology into entirely different places. Seattle has been participating since its world fair in 1962 (monorails and jetpacks anyone?) and most recently with a tech advisory board to tap into the expertise of local wizards at Amazon,…
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