Business & Economy
Business & Economy
Like Those (Relatively) Low Gas Prices? Thank The Global Oil Glut
Gasoline prices have been dropping steadily for months; they’re averaging right around $2.25 per gallon nationally. Enjoy, but don’t get used to them, analysts say.
U.S. Adds Stronger-Than-Expected 312,000 Jobs; Unemployment Rises Slightly To 3.9 Percent
The economy added 312,000 jobs in December — topping analysts’ expectations of 180,000 jobs added. Unemployment climbed as more people felt confident enough to quit their jobs and look for new ones.
Oregon’s New Equal Pay Act Goes Into Full Effect In 2019
There are already federal and state laws that try to shrink the pay gap among genders. But this new Oregon state law expands gender protections to include things like race, religion, marital status or age.
Catch The Cost Lift: Up And Down ‘Airline Pricing’ Coming To Northwest Ski Areas
The cost of lift tickets at Mt. Hood Meadows in Oregon will rise and fall daily based on demand. What the ski industry calls “dynamic pricing” was pioneered by major resorts in Colorado, Utah and California. It has been slow to spread to the Northwest.
Washington Could See Gas Shortage After British Columbia Pipeline Explosion
A pipeline explosion in British Columbia risks cutting off the flow of Canadian natural gas to Washington, and companies are urging customers to conserve.
Your Word Of The Day Is ‘Torrefaction.’ First-Of-Its Kind Plant To Open In Eastern Oregon
Construction begins soon in eastern Oregon for the first commercial-scale “torrefaction” facility in the country. If you don’t know what that word means, you’re in good company. But the process itself isn’t all that exotic. Think of how your coffee beans get crispy.
Unemployment Rate Drops To 3.7 Percent, Lowest In Nearly 50 Years
The jobless rate last month was the lowest since 1969, though the economy added a less-than-expected 134,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Wage growth slowed to a 2.8 percent rate.
The American Dream Is Harder To Find In Some Neighborhoods
Does the neighborhood you grow up in determine how far you move up the economic ladder? A new online data tool being made public Monday finds a strong correlation between where people are raised and their chances of achieving the American dream.
Pasco Dairy Workers Take Labor Case – And A Motor Coach – To Seattle For Hunger Demonstration
Dairy workers and members of the United Farm Workers union boarded a coach bus on their way to Seattle this week. It’s all for the start of a five-day fast to bring awareness to their Darigold Dozen campaign against the Ruby Ridge Dairy near Pasco.
The ‘Beerification’ Of Northwest Wine: Putting It In Less-Fussy Cans
Some winemakers are calling it the “beerification” of wine. Many Northwest winemakers are trying to make wine a little less fussy by putting it in aluminum cans.
Customs And Border Protection Plans To Decrease Hours For Northeastern Washington Crossing
U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to reduce operating hours at a border crossing between Danville, and Grand Forks, British Columbia, and residents in Ferry County, Washington aren’t pleased.
With Billions At Stake, Supreme Court Rules States May Tax Online Retailers
The Supreme Court ruled June 21 that states can collect state sales taxes from online retailers on consumer purchases. The decision overruled a decades-old precedent that had protected out-of-state sellers from being required to collect such taxes.
