About one quarter of WIllamette Valley residents have quit a job in the past two years, most frequently because of low wages. The data comes from a sample of 260 people in the valley as part of a larger survey given by Oregon Values and Beliefs Center–a nonpartisan organization that[Read More…]
Tag: SALEM ECONOMY
Rising costs, supply chain problems plague construction projects in Salem
For Pence Construction, a Salem commercial contractor, this year marked the first time a construction project hinged on dimmer switches. All other supplies are in, but Brent Pence, owner and senior project manager, said they can’t have dimmable light switches in hand until August. “My whole project ties into this[Read More…]
Big jumps in food prices hit Salem restaurants, institutions
Annette’s Westgate Cafe goes through about 330 pounds of bacon a week. It’s a staple for the Salem restaurant on Northwest Edgewater Street, which has been serving hearty meals for 15 years. Owner Brian Kato Dilks said many of the proteins served at Annette’s are bought on six-month or year-long[Read More…]
Spiraling costs have some local families choosing between food, medical care
Holli Thomas’ breast cancer is responding to the drug trial she’s enrolled in. But the 54-year-old Keizer resident has to drive to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland for her treatment. With gas prices over $5 per gallon, she’s now having to sell clothes and furniture to afford the[Read More…]
COLUMN: Health care, manufacturing jobs targeted in new workforce training plan
Nurses are among the local jobs expected to see the most growth in the coming years.(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) After decades of declining federal funding, the Willamette Workforce Partnership, the local area workforce board, will see its annual job-training budget double in the space of the next few months. Here’s why:[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…]
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…]
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…]
Salem is eager to resume big events, but labor and supply challenges loom
Determined not to let their planned wedding day be disrupted by the pandemic, Sara Foreman and Alex Younger found a venue in at a West Salem home, keeping to the June 2020 date they set long ago. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) When Oregon’s pandemic restrictions lifted on July 1, Meagan Morris[Read More…]
