Conservative investments and decades of policies aimed at reducing dependency on cars could insulate Oregon from the worst effects of an economic crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but state leaders and their advisers say much is still uncertain. The state and national economy rebounded rapidly after the initial[Read More…]
ECONOMY
Skyrocketing food prices are pinching budgets of Oregon individuals and agencies
Food service workers prepare wrapped turkey dogs to serve in Salem-Keizer elementary schools in 2019 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Oregonians and some state agencies are grappling with soaring food costs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, retail food prices have jumped 8.6% in a year, including a 1% uptick[Read More…]
COLUMN: Lower wages, higher barriers to entry among reasons fewer Oregon teens work
Oregon teens’ labor force participation has declined in recent years (Graph by Pamela Ferrara/Special to Salem Reporter) Are youth endangered in the labor force? Labor force participation rates (the percentage of the civilian non-institutionalized population working and looking for work) for young people between the ages of 16 and 24[Read More…]
COLUMN: A diverse workforce mix helps Salem bounce back from recessions
Government workers are a far larger share of Salem’s workforce than average, shielding the city somewhat from the impacts of economic downturns. (Graphic by Pamela Ferrara/Special to Salem Reporter) Salem area workers are employed in a diverse mix of industries and that diversity has had positive impacts on the area’s[Read More…]
High housing costs, low rental inventory are making Salem less affordable
Homes on Tierra Drives Northeast on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Homes in Salem have become increasingly pricey, and renters are having a hard time finding available units with local vacancy rates below both Portland and national averages. A shortage of both homes for sale and available rentals[Read More…]
Record employment posted in Oregon sectors, but recovery remains uneven
The Oregon Employment Department on Tuesday reported a record number of jobs in construction, wholesale trade and professional and business service sectors, but continued declines in employment at private hospitals, residential care facilities and in education. The monthly report is a snapshot, based on surveys sent to 7,000 businesses across the state[Read More…]
City grant aims to help Salem child care providers stay in business
Preschool students work on a paper mache project in class (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Leah Peay already had experience working in daycare when she had her first child. Rather than put her daughter in someone else’s care, she decided to open her own business: a small daycare based out of her[Read More…]
As Roth’s Fresh Markets goes corporate, leaders say focus will remain on customer service
Roth’s Fresh Markets on Wallace Road Northwest in Salem. (Ardeshir Tabrizian/Salem Reporter) Mitch Teal has one piece of advice for the new owners of Roth’s Fresh Markets: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Teal, a Salem commercial real estate broker who has worked with the Roth family since the[Read More…]
COLUMN: Pandemic aid helped thousands of Salem residents out of poverty
Poverty rates in the U.S. over time (Pamela Ferrara/Special to Salem Reporter) Government stimulus programs including expanded unemployment benefits and food stamps and payments to businesses and the self-employed helped bring some 70,000 Oregonians and 11 million people across the U.S. above the poverty line in 2020. That’s according to[Read More…]
With interest from low-cost airlines, optimism grows about commercial service at Salem Airport
Empty seats at Salem Municipal Airport. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Brent DeHart believes the Salem Municipal Airport is close to having commercial air service. DeHart is a leader in a contingent of local business owners and residents called Fly Salem that have been seeking to restore passenger service to Salem since[Read More…]
