Here are the new rates by area of the upcoming minimum wage changes.

By Oregon Small Business Association,

When the number of jobless increase, because of minimum wage hikes, it impacts real people. The OSBA has issued this ad to help spread the news of the current Senate Bill 1532 and the damage of minimum wage spikes.

Important energy bill is being debated in the Senate

The Energy Policy Modernization Act, introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and currently being debated in the Senate. This legislation marks the first time since 2007 that Congress has set out to revamp the nation’s energy policies.

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Though 2015 has witnessed key Oregon companies being acquired by out-of-state enterprises, relocating elsewhere or reducing jobs, a number of other companies have expanded operations. Breweries, sports apparel, and a range of technology-related businesses have made significant investments in Oregon to strengthen their presence in Portland or other parts of the state.

Facebook to hire 150. The social media giant is moving forward with plans for its third and largest data center in Prineville. Upwards of 150 or more jobs are likely to follow to Central Oregon.
GuideSpark eyes 200 new employees. The technology firm has developed a video platform for HR and is expanding its content team in Portland, which was chosen over several other locations considered for growth. To fulfill the terms of its loan from the state, GuideSpark must hire an additional 200 employees. Timing on the hiring isn’t known, but the company has double or tripled in size each of the last three years.

Breweries. North Rim Brewery in Bend, Deschutes Brewery also in Bend, Three Creeks Brewing in Sisters, Widmer Brewing in Portland are just a few breweries that have all significantly expanded operations and added jobs in 2015. Read more »

The Oregon Employment Department has released a survey showing that nearly 70% of Oregon employers have had a difficult time filling vacancies. This is the highest level when compared over the last few years. The vacancy problems appears to be trending upwards over the past few quarters surveyed. Finding employees can become more challenging for employers as the economy improves and the pool of available talent shrinks. Most of these vacancies tend to be full-time and permanent jobs which are coincidentally the most coveted among job seekers and the more necessary for employers. Read more »

Press Release,

Through Oct. 28, every time you ride the INSPIRE vehicle option, Uber will donate $1 to Special Olympics Oregon.

The partnership was launched at a press conference today at Providence Park which will host the Fall State Games on Nov. 21-22. Uber was joined by SOOR CEO Margie Hunt, SOOR athlete Katie Dunn, SOOR Board Chair Kerry Tymchuck and the President of the Portland Timbers for this announcement.

SOOR anticipates more than 600 athletes, 250 coaches and 300 volunteers will participate in the upcoming games. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation

Oregon has become a target state for pirated films. The copyright holders for the Adam Sandler film “The Cobbler” have filed a lawsuit against 11 Oregon internet users for illegally watching the pirated film using the website Popcorn Time. A similar lawsuit for the Peirce Brosnan film “Survivor” has also named 16 Oregon web users in their lawsuit. Popcorn Time is a BitTorrent site that connects users to pirated films. What makes Popcorn Time different from other pirate sites is that it is professional looking and virtually seamless in its use. Many users have no idea that it is in fact a website built upon connecting users to unauthorized films many of which are new releases. Both lawsuits claim that evidence of 10,000 instances of illegally download examples stemming from Oregon users. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation

Dave’s Killer Bread, the best-selling organic bread in the nation, is being sold to Flower Foods, Inc. for $275 million. The company, founded by the Dahl family as Nature Bake in 1955, assumed the name of its best-selling variety after Dave’s Killer Bread launched as an instant success at the Portland Farmer’s Market in 2005. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation

A lawsuit charging Nike with copyright infringement has been dismissed in federal court. Photographer Jacobus Rentmeester filed the suit in January, claiming Nike used the pose in his copyrighted image of Michael Jordan when they created their Jumpman logo. Rentmeester shot the original photo for a LIFE Magazine Special Issue previewing the 1984 Summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. In 1985, Nike paid him for a limited license to use the image. Read more »

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation,

Forbes says Portland is overpriced

Portland placed #12 on Forbes’ list of America’s Most Overpriced Cities. Los Angeles was #1, followed by Chicago, Miami, and New York. To come up with the list, Forbes compared the housing prices, living expenses, unemployment rates, and average salaries for workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher in the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. Read more »