Who’s Driving Oregon’s Wage Growth?

Wages in Oregon have been on the rise over the past three years. From fourth quarter 2014 to fourth quarter 2017, the quarterly average wage (smoothed and adjusted for inflation) rose by around 6.7 percent (+$800 per quarter). This is seemingly good news, right? This means that during that three-year period the average worker had…

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Entering the Danger Zone

As we wait for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to take the podium in Jackson Hole and impart some wisdom on the economy and hopefully provide policy guidance as well, it is worth considering that we may be soon be entering a dangerous period for monetary policy – the time when the lagged effects of…

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In Cap-and-Trade Considerations, Oregon Policy-Makers Should Include Reductions for Federal Forest Fire Smoke Carbon Emissions

Sara Duncan 503-586-1246 Oregon Forest & Industries Council On Wednesday, August 22, hundreds of policymakers will gather in Lincoln City for the annual Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit to discuss carbon cap-and-trade mechanisms and ways to reduce Oregon’s carbon footprint. “Solutions to decrease unchecked wildfires and increase the production of sustainable wood products in our…

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Iot: The Irrelevance of Thingies

People and social interaction, not technology, is the key to the future of cities Smart city afficianado’s are agog at the prospects that the Internet of Things will create vast new markets for technology that will disrupt and displace cities. Color us skeptical; our experience with technology so far–and its been rapid and sweeping–is that…

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TARIFF AND TURKEY TALK

by Jason Norris, CFA Executive Vice President of Research A currency crisis in Turkey and continued trade uncertainty resulted in a volatile week for equities. International stocks, specifically emerging markets, started selling off. U.S. commodities were also weak. This was offset by positive news on the China trade front. Overall, our view of U.S. economic…

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“I’VE ALWAYS CALLED THEM FILBERTS”

B y : Greg Henderson Little did I know how important the hazelnut indus-try would become to Oregon when I watched my uncle Ray ducking under tree limbs when dragging a harrow through his filbert orchard over fifty years ago. It has become more than just important. (I’m going to use “hazelnuts” and “filberts” interchangea-bly).…

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Turkey: Hazelnut prices fall early in season

Hazelnuts prices in Turkey are headed lower at the start of the hazelnut season this year from last year. A kilo of hazelnuts (in shell) was worth nearly 22 Turkish lira ($10) last year per kilo as a devastating frost in March reduced the size of the harvest, according to a trade organization. Turkey is…

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Region Exceeds Two-Year Benchmark for Energy Efficiency

By: JENNIFER LIGHT In 2016 and 2017, the Northwest region achieved 404 average megawatts of electric energy efficiency savings, enough power to equal the average annual energy use of 290,000 homes, according to a report by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. This achievement exceeds the first two-year efficiency target set in the Council’s Seventh…

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Central Oregon’s growth is centered in Bend

Oregon’s recovery from the Great Recession of 2008 – 2010 has been predictably uneven. Statewide population density variations with local business emphasis and economic diversity in industrial productivity shows in recovery contrasts in urban vs rural areas. Central Oregon, especially in Bend, seemed poised for growth as the recession hit. That appears to have been…

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Health Care – an Economic Contributor

By Dick Baltus It doesn’t take an economics degree to understand that local jobs are the lifeblood of any community, especially those of the small, rural variety. In rural areas, hospitals are typically near or atop the list of a community’s largest employers. In Roseburg, CHI Mercy Health, with its approximately 1,100 employees, is the…

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Norway, Oregon’s Bottle Bill and Plastic Recycling

CFM State Affairs Team China’s refusal to keep buying US-sourced recyclable materials and the mounting threat of plastic pollution in the ocean have redirected attention to schemes such as beverage container redemption, in which Oregon has been a leader. The HuffPost headline was breathless: “Norway has radical approach to plastic pollution and it’s working.” The radical approach:…

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UNIQUE PARTNERSHIPS ENHANCE BUSINESS SERVICES IN BROOKINGS

By Gary Milliman A new public/private coalition has formed in southern Curry County to provide enhanced services to business and promote economic growth. Partners in this effort include the South Coast Development council (SCDC), City of Brookings and the Brookings-Harbor Chamber of Commerce. Recognizing that small cities like Brookings cannot financially afford to support an…

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