ECONOMY

Blue collar working families were struggling before COVID-19 hit. Without help, advocates fear a wave of evictions.

Farm to Families food boxes are distributed from the St. Vincent De Paul food bank on Friday, May 22 . (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Working-class families in Oregon were struggling to afford necessities before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a trend advocates worry could fuel a homelessness crisis when a statewide moratorium[Read More…]

Salem’s economy takes a jolt as 1,000 jobs disappear with NORPAC collapse

A NORPAC-branded truck transports frozen vegetables in Oregon. (Courtesy/Oregon Department of Agriculture) The impending closure of a century-old food processing company will have wide impacts on Salem’s economy as nearly 1,000 workers seek new jobs over the holidays and Willamette Valley farmers scramble for a new buyer for next season’s[Read More…]