Tag Archives: Local Economy

Rogue Valley Outlook | Oregon Office of Economic Analysis

This morning I am giving a presentation at the SOREDI State of the Rogue Valley breakfast. Below is a short summary of my remarks, followed by a copy of my slides. The issues, risks, and trends in Southern Oregon are quite similar to the state overall. The differences that arise are more about relative magnitudes. […]
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Portland economic report shows modest improvement amid challenges

The Portland Metro Chamber’s 2024 State of the Economy report shows slightly sluggish job growth, while population and housing cost trends remain concerning. The Portland region saw “modest improvements” in its economy last year, with positive but somewhat sluggish job growth and ongoing challenges with population loss and housing affordability, according to the Portland Metro […]
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Summer tourism flops for Swift-less Portland; Seattle enjoys ‘really good’ year

“Summer tourism did not happen.” The Portland City Council unanimously voted not to sunset the city’s 1% “Tourism and Hospitality Recovery” tax first imposed on hotel room bookings in 2021 to fund the post-pandemic recovery of Portland’s travel and tourism industry. The decision was made after recent economic data showed that Portland’s tourism industry “flatlined” […]
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Tourism at Crater Lake, Oregon Caves and Lava Beds bolsters local economy

Regional economies were boosted by several million dollars because of the allure of Crater Lake National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument and the Lava Beds/Tule Lake national monuments. A new National Park Service report shows that 647,751 visitors to Crater Lake and 131,000 visitors to Lava Beds and Tulelake in 2022 spent more than $69 […]
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Statewide study shows economic impact of Clatsop Community College

A $112.5 million local footprint. A study on the economic impact of Oregon’s community colleges found that Clatsop Community College supported 1,556 jobs in the region in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, adding about $112.5 million to the local economy. The study was conducted by Lightcast, a labor analytics firm, on behalf of the Oregon Community […]
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Can Gov. Tina Kotek turn around downtown Portland?: Beat Check podcast

Gov. Tina Kotek is convening a panel of local elected officials, business executives and civic leaders to focus on how to best bolster downtown Portland’s economic future. The move comes as Portland’s urban core remains among the nation’s slowest to recover in the aftermath of the pandemic amid blocks of empty offices and storefronts as […]
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Oregon’s Leisure and Hospitality Industry – QualityInfo

Leisure and hospitality businesses employed 198,200 workers on average in 2022, up from 162,200 workers in 2020. Of those, roughly one out of nine jobs were in accommodations, slightly less than in arts, entertainment, and recreation where about one in eight leisure and hospitality industry jobs were. About three-fourths of leisure and hospitality workers worked […]
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An Oregon town is buying surrounding forests to confront wildfires

A logger, forester and former mayor have joined forces to help Butte Falls protect its town and build an economy supported by tourism. This story was originally published by Columbia Insight. With a population of just 400 people, Butte Falls is a speck in an ocean of remote timberland, much of it burned.The community is […]
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COLUMN: The pandemic’s lingering effects on the Salem economy

Three years ago, in June 2020, the Salem area economy was beginning to struggle out of the massive two-month job loss caused by business shut-downs to stem the spread of Covid. The pandemic was just getting started then, and vaccines were six months in the future, but job recovery had already begun.In addition, over the […]
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An economic summit will be conducted Aug. 3-4

Leaders from throughout the state soon will get a chance to take a deep look at the opportunities and challenges facing Northeastern Oregon. The annual Eastern Oregon Economic Summit will run Aug. 3-4 in La Grande. The summit’s highlights include industry tours, speakers and discussion panels focused on the regional economy, federal and state legislation, […]
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