Southern Oregon Business Journal June 2021

Proudly Serving Benton, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln & Linn Counties and Crook, Lake, Harney and Malheur Counties as well. Since 2015

June 2021 MEET TRACY KAISER, MARKETING & EDUCATION MANAGER OF ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP - PAGE 8

SOU EXPANDS ONLINE MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION - PAGE 36

NEW PARTNERSHIP BRINGS ENERGY AND COST SAVINGS TO BUSINESSES IN RURAL OREGON - PAGE 6

Moon Shot

Sponsored by

The Journal for Business in Southern Oregon SouthernOregonBusiness.com

The Southern Oregon Business Journal extends sincere thanks to the following companies for sponsoring the journal. Without their support we could not produce a FREE resource for Southern Oregon businesses.

A Few Words from Jim Moon Shot Chad Sobotka’s stunning photo of the full moon over Pilot Rock is on the cover of this months journal and it sets the tone perfectly for what I have been thinking about recently.

What’s my next Moon Shot?

It’s been a year since Greg retired from the journal and I took over 100% and although the timing wasn’t what I planned, I have successfully managed to nd the time to keep the journal alive and growing. We have added sponsors and advertisers and increased our readership over the very weird year of COVID. So what’s next?

I need to tell myself that I am going to do something bold, big and exciting because I’m easily bored.

It was President Kennedy that excited a nation with his bold statement that coined the term “Moon Shot” when he declared that we will put a man on the moon in a decade and safely return him back to earth. It excited everyone into the possibility and we all knew it was hard and nearly impossible to do. But we did it. The promise was ful lled even though the President was assassinated.

It survived him.

HOUSING

CENTRAL OREGON’S HOUSING WOES - PAGE 32 HOUSING - REVISITING “WHO CAN AFFORD HOUSING IN BEND?” - PAGE 14

So I’m spending time dreaming of traveling again and watching the world get vaccinated and opening back up again but I’m also yearning for a BHAG. (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for myself and for my companies.

What nearly impossible achievement will we do in the next 10 years?

What will my legacy be?

What will I leave behind as I retire in the next 10 years?

What will the journal become?

Let’s dream together. Send me a note with your moon shot ideas and let’s hold each other accountable. Let’s change the world. Let’s be bold.

Together.

COVID-19 VACCINATION TRENDS - PAGE 20

What’s your Moon Shot? Let me know and I’ll let you know mine as soon as I come up with one.

Jim Jim@SouthernOregonBusiness.com

Founder Greg Henderson ghenderson703@gmail.com Greg started the Southern Oregon Business Journal in 2015 and retired in 2020.

COVER PHOTO :PINK MOON OVER PILOT ROCK BY CHAD SOBOTKA HTTPS://WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/ CHADSOBOTKA/

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5350 HWY 66, Ashland, Oregon 97520

www.SouthernOregonBusiness.com A JOURNAL FOR THE ECONOMICALLY CURIOUS, PROFESSIONALLY INSPIRED AND ACUTELY MOTIVATED

June 2021 - Table of Contents

PEOPLE

BUSINESS PROFILE MEET TRACY KAISER, MARKETING & EDUCATION MANAGER OF ASHLAND FOOD COOP - PAGE 8

MEET MANAGEMOWED EUGENE - PAGE 5

NEW PARTNERSHIP BRINGS ENERGY AND COST SAVINGS TO BUSINESSES IN RURAL OREGON PAGE 6

EMPLOYMENT

EDUCATION

CENTRAL OREGON’S LATEST UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS LOWER THAN LONG-TERM AVERAGE PAGE 16

COVID - NEW DASHBOARD COUNTS THE WAY TO REOPENING - PAGE 7

LANE COUNTY DEPENDS ON MIGRATION FOR POPULATION GROWTH - PAGE 18 EMPLOYMENT IN JACKSON COUNTY: APRIL 2021 GAINS IN LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY BOOST PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT - PAGE 25

MEASURING THE PULSE OF OREGON HOUSEHOLDS AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - PAGE 28 WORKFORCE - OREGON’S GROWING HISPANIC WORKFORCE - PAGE 35

SOU EXPANDS ONLINE MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION - PAGE 36 COMMUNITY BANKING PEOPLE’S BANK REPORTS RESULTS OF ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER’S MEETING - PAGE 22 WILLAMETTE COMMUNITY BANK NOW OFFERING HOME LOANS IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY - PAGE 24

ROGUE RIVER GORGE PHOTO BY PAUL STEELE - PAGE 34

COULD YOUR PERSONAL DATA BE KEPT HOSTAGE FOR RANSOM - PAGE 15

WHERE LEADERSHIP FAILS - PAGE 31

BUSINESS PROFILE

By Jim Teece

ManageMowed Eugene

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sat down virtually with Mike Kasper, a 64 year old Eugene resident, with 6 grandchildren, who manages accounts for the new ManageMowed Franchisee in Eugene to nd out more about ManageMowed, how the business works and who the typical clients are.

ManageMowed is a Lawn Service Franchise based out of Edmonds, Washington with franchisees located in 6 states. They have an interesting model where the franchisee doesn’t have employees that do the actual lawn care.

The franchisee manages the relationship with the customer and the independent contractors that do the labor.

Their website managemowed.com explains that the business model provides the best work/life balance for the owner. It considers itself a lifestyle brand and owners do not need landscaping experience. You don’t buy any equipment and you do not hire or manage any of the laborers.

They also say that 90% of your revenue is recurring.

I asked Mike what his typical day is like. The Eugene franchise services Eugene, Spring eld, Albany, Corvallis and Roseburg. He typically drives around cold calling on buildings that need landscaping, giving out his card and making on the spot quotes for professional services. He also meets with independent

contractors to set up lawn care relationships with them.

for price quotes. They also provide seasonal services such as de-icing and snow removal.

When I asked him about the issue of competing with the contractors he nds, he says there is no competition. They show up and do the work and are branded ManageMowed when they are on site. “There is more than enough work to go around and they end up liking the relationship because they like to do what they are good at and we do what we are good at.”

The ManageMowed Franchise provides ongoing training, marketing, operations support as well as a world-class on-line integrated CRM for scheduling and real-time communication and invoicing with clients.

The business growth comes mostly from wordof-mouth referrals from happy customers. They will perform a one time clean up and then move into a weekly, monthly, quarterly maintenance agreement.

“We are open source - we subcontract all of the work”, Mike told me.

They handle mowing, irrigation, bed care, seasonal plantings and they do quality checks.

Most clients are gas stations, convenience stores, drive through coffee locations and commercial building owners that are tired of taking care of their landscaping. I’m one of those so I know exactly the kind of customer this service would appeal to.

Mike shows up and measures the square footage of the lawn and uses formulas supplied

The business started by two brothers providing residential maintenance in 1999. When the recession hit in 2009, 90% of their business was residential and they lost much of it, so they pivoted, rebranded and decided to focus on business only accounts. By 2013 they had a proven model and by 2016 had two test markets in Denver and Portland. Now they are pushing the franchise model nationally and hoping to add 10 to 20 franchisees a year.

Franchisees pay a modest startup fee and get all the training they need to be successful and grow their own business. A prospective franchisee needs to have liquid assets of $50,000 or greater and a net worth greater than $150,000 according to the franchise page at https://www.managemowed.com/franchise If you are in need of professional landscaping services in Eugene, Spring eld, Albany, Corvallis or Roseburg, you can nd Mike at https://www.managemowed.com/locations/ eugene

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By Hannah Mullin ENERGY EFFICIENCY C+C | ALL ABOUT THE GOOD

New partnership brings energy and cost savings to businesses in rural Oregon

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here’s a new program helping small businesses in rural, southern Oregon save money and prepare for the future.

With fewer than 2,500 residents, the town of Lakeview is even more remote than most rural communities, meaning there are fewer contractors available to help when businesses need to improve older or inef cient buildings and spaces.

But a local nonpro t, Lake County Resources Initiative, is taking a new approach to help businesses overcome these barriers, starting with upgrading lighting—which government statistics show is one of the highest energy costs for businesses.

Lake County Resources Initiative, which works to improve the area’s economy and environment, is working with Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonpro t organization that makes

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it easier and more affordable for people to save energy and generate their own clean power. By bringing in contractors from outside of Lakeview, providing technical assistance, and connecting businesses to cash incentives, this partnership is helping businesses save energy, time and money by upgrading to highly ef cient LED lighting.

“In a rural area like this with harsh weather, running a business can be challenging,” said Nick Johnson, executive director of Lake County Resources Initiative. “But thanks to many partners, we’ve been able to lessen some of the burden by helping these businesses cut their energy costs.”

In less than a year, 19 Lakeview businesses have taken advantage of the program – an achievement that leaders say is making the community stronger. One of the participants, the Lakeview Community Partnership, is a nonpro t working to restore the

historic Alger Theatre and its neighboring annex building.

“The Historic Alger Theater is the town of Lakeview’s crown jewel,” said Ginger Casto, executive director of the Lakeview Community Partnership. “After closing in 2014, it fell into disrepair and put a damper on the town’s image. With the support of Lake County Resources Initiative, we were able to afford to work with contractors to make signi cant lighting upgrades to the annex building next to the theater. Three months in and we’ve cut our electric bill in half.”

To make the lighting projects a reality, Lake County Resources Initiative conducted audits to identify savings opportunities and supplied reduced-cost tubular LEDs with cash incentives from Energy Trust. The nonpro t also secured $5,000 in travel reimbursement from Energy Trust to cover

the cost of contractor travel from neighboring communities, which was a signi cant nancial barrier to making these projects pro table for contractors.

“This effort has a great, collaborative approach that is allowing us to connect contractors in and around Lake County to businesses and homeowners who likely haven’t had the opportunity to make energy upgrades or add renewable energy before,” said Johnson. “Individually, these projects may seem small but together this type of work is what will lead our region into a clean energy future.”

Energy Trust hopes this partnership can serve as a model to bring energy ef ciency to more rural Oregon communities.

Reducing energy use and costs has never been more important with research showing rural cities and towns can pay as much as 40% more on energy bills than more urban areas.

New dashboard counts the way to reopenin Posted on June 8, 202 by pjennings09

Many people in Oregon are looking forward to a time when they can return to doing the things they love.

Vaccination in Oregon is the safest and most effective path to reopening our state. As of today, 1,939,623 people in Oregon have completed a #COVID19 vaccine series. There are 2,286,813 who have had at least one dose.

The number of adult Oregonians needing vaccinations to reach the 70% threshold is 106,671. A daily countdown can be found on the OHA website

“Having a trusted community partner was key to our success,” said Energy Trust Southern Oregon Outreach Manager Karen Chase. “Collaboration with nonpro ts and trade ally contractors is a model we can apply to support other rural communities.”

With lower energy bills and new energyef ciency solutions, Lakeview businesses are already looking toward the future.

“We’re very happy with the result of this work. It’s improved the accessibility of the annex building,” said Casto. “As we continue our renovations, we’re excited to see other downtown businesses take advantage of these opportunities as well.”

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CAPICHE CONVERSATIONS:

By Chris Cook, Capiche, capiche.us President and CEO of Capiche & Capiche Wine, Chris Cook is a leadership coach focused on happiness, culture, living your brand, and winery marketing & PR. She brings decades of experience in marketing and a love of entrepreneurship.

With Contributions from General Manager Emile Amarotico & Store Manager Barry Haynes INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY MELISSA L. MICHAELS, CAPICHE CONTRIBUTOR/ STRATEGIC PARTNER, MICHAELS & MICHAELS CREATIVE, LLC

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Interview with Tracy Kaiser, Marketing & Education Manager of Ashland Food Co-op

sk any local what the heartbeat of Ashland is, and they’ll probably say the Ashland Food Co-op. It’s not only a place to nd healthy, sustainably sourced groceries, but it’s also a social hub where you can meet with friends and colleagues while enjoying selections from the Co-op Kitchen’s 200+ menu options. The Co-op team truly puts “people, the planet, and principles before pro t.”

The vibrant, joyful culture visible in the Coop workplace re ects the fruit of labors undertaken by Capiche in collaboration with the Co-op’s leadership and staff as part of a Happiness@Work project in 2013 and 2015.

General Manager Emile Amarotico and the board members fully embraced the process and eagerly sought to implement recommendations gathered from employees through Capiche’s appreciative inquiry

Following is an interview with the Co-op’s new marketing and education manager, Tracy Kaiser, along with GM Emile and Store Manager Barry Haynes.

Q: Tracy, you’ve been in the Rogue Valley since 1998—one year before I arrived, incidentally. Where did you move from, and what did you think of Southern Oregon by comparison?

Tracy: I moved from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, my college town. I was raised in Wisconsin and was the bakery buyer for a mail-order company when I was recruited

by Harry & David in 1998.

My father was an outdoor nut, and I was raised with a deep love for nature and wildlife. My dad always wanted to live in the mountains, and he spoke of their beauty and strength often. I can remember ying in for my interview with Harry & David. My ight arrived after dark. I was staying at the Morical House, an Ashland B&B, and I drove directly there to rest for the evening. The next morning, I pulled back the drapes and had this warm feeling that I was home.

Since that moment, I cannot imagine living anywhere else but the Paci c Northwest.

Q: Prior to becoming marketing and education manager at the Ashland Food Co-op, you were senior director of product development and innovative merchandising at Harry & David. How did this prepare you to excel in your role at the Co-op?

Tracy: Harry & David is a full circle business model. We had to excel at process procedure, product development, creativity, nances, and tight timelines as well as having or learning a deep understanding for operations and orchard management.

My senior VP was my mentor for several years, and I often recall the management practices she instilled within me.

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process. Nearly a decade later, the investment is still paying dividends in both employee satisfaction and the bottom line.

Interview with Tracy Kaiser Continued from page 11 mobile device as well as desktop. In time, this may replace decades-old all store and department paper logbooks. It will integrate a number of other Happiness@Workinspired programs, including our weekly employee surveys and our shoutout board used to recognize peer successes and gratitude.

Q: As a newcomer to the Ashland Food Co-op team, what was your initial impression of the workplace culture, and do you feel the Co-op’s mission is aligned with its brand?

Tracy: Before I started my career at AFC, I felt deeply connected with the team because I shopped there almost daily. The Co-op was my social hub! After I was hired for my position, I felt the connection deepen even more within the team. Do I feel the Co-op’s mission is aligned with our brand? Oh, yes!

Spend ve minutes with Lynn Scionti, one of our product managers who has been with the Co-op for 40 years! She is the embodiment of Co-op values and strives to bring our community the best products at the best price. Lynne truly inspires me on many levels, including the fact she stocks shelves like she is 25.

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Q: You are actually witnessing the long-term impact of the Happiness@Work project conducted in 2013 and 2015 in collaboration with Capiche. Chris Cook wrote an article about this innovative work for Cooperative Grocer magazine in which she details the approach taken. This involved conducting a Happiness Works organizational assessment followed by an appreciative inquiry process. Three volunteer teams were formed to implement solutions based on the data collected: Communication & Cooperation, Renewal & Stress Management, and Learning & Development. Is this work still paying dividends today, both in terms of employee satisfaction and Co-op pro ts?

Emile: The Happiness@Work initiative inspired a number of communication enhancements that continue today. Until COVID precluded group get-togethers, we have produced twice yearly All Store Assemblies chock-full of updates and trainings. We routinely conduct Team Huddles to keep members informed and provide space for dialogue. A weekly Huddle News email provides storewide messaging to team leaders and desk workers. We have just launched BeeKeeper, a mobile communication platform accessible to frontline employees via

The most tangible enhancements to renewal and stress management are the outdoor break area, which has literally blossomed, and a complete renovation of the indoor break/food prep area, including new xtures, counters, seating, and computer “non”-workstations!

We have integrated volumes of training for all employees as well as curriculums relevant to speci c workers. Examples include implicit bias and cultural agility awareness, harassment, and active shooter training.

Q: What was it like working with Chris?

Emile: The twinkle in Chris’s eye belies keen insights into what makes people tick, be it in the workplace or the marketplace. Perhaps it’s a twinkle of magic!

Q: Recently, Barry Haynes was promoted from produce manager to store manager. He was part of this exploratory process and is a real-life example of Happiness@Work in action. What sets the experience of a Co-op employee apart from a typical job?

Barry: Working at the Co-op provides the opportunity to be a part of a community and family that is not usually found in the typical work environment. Management believes in Servant Leadership and approaches every day with the intent of making everyone’s workday experience a positive one.

everywhere. All employees have been receiving a Hero Pay differential since the early stages of the pandemic. Additionally, we have been providing a meal to employees for every shift worked as well as numerous gift certi cates and other bene ts intended to maintain positive morale.

We have implemented numerous protocols and protective measures ahead of and

beyond state requirements. Shopping patterns have drastically changed. Average basket size has increased, and customers are visiting us less frequently to limit their exposure.

The creation of online shopping with curbside pickup was a priority, and the team moved quickly to successfully execute this project.

Q: How has your team pulled together in the face of COVID challenges? What measures has the Co-op taken to help keep the staff and community safe, and how has the shopping experience changed as a result—including the addition of curbside pickup and an online store?

Barry: The challenges of the pandemic have taken a toll on essential workers

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Interview with Tracy Kaiser Continued from page 11 Q: How did the Co-op respond in the aftermath of the Almeda Fire as community members found themselves in dire need of resources?

Tracy: From day one of the Almeda Fires, the Co-op team wanted to help the community. They reached out to vendors across the region and country to ask for their help with products, supplies, and food to get to the re victims.

And that help came through in big ways, getting nutritious food to displaced families, home supplies in high demand, and wellness and food for rst responders and re ghters. These donations and distributions wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated and wellconnected Co-op team.

The other way we were able to help get resources back to the re victims was through our new Round Up Program called Change for Good. We quickly communicated to our community about the need to support displaced families and how they could easily help the community by rounding up their change when they were at the cash register checking out. In very little time, we had over $75,000 donated from our community, and the donations were distributed throughout local organizations supporting our displaced community members.

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Q: A lot of people are surprised to learn the Co-op Kitchen is the largest restaurant in the City of Ashland—a town acclaimed for its plethora of restaurants. The Co-op Kitchen employs 45 to 50 people and pays more restaurant taxes than any other business in the city. It offers 200+ products and a highly customizable menu suitable for any diet—from vegan to Paleo to keto. What makes the Co-op Kitchen such an attractive option for those seeking dining options in Ashland?

Tracy: As you stated, we offer a robust assortment of products that support a broad range of dietary needs. We take great pride in the quality of our ingredients. Not only are our meal offerings nutritious, they are incredibly delicious! I often express to community members that since I started working for the Co-op, I feel so much healthier, especially when I make an effort to eat at the Hot Bar. We have stepped up our culinary and production game over the last year, and even with all of the shifts in our business practices during COVID, our

Prepared Foods Team and executive chef were still able to curate new products for our community.

Q: I love the Co-op’s Vision: “Joyfully working together … Delighting shoppers … Enhancing health …

Enriching community.” Often, a vision is aspirational, but the Co-op seems to be living this already. What do you envision for the future of the Ashland Food Co-op?

Tracy: Finding new ways to reach more community members with nutrient-rich food and making it approachable to all, even if you are food-insecure. We have a lot of amazing managers and board members who are visionaries and strategic thinkers, and we look forward to potential opportunities to grow our current store footprint or nd other locations in Southern Oregon that support our drive to bring nutritious food to all who live in our region.

EXCERPTS FROM CO-OPERATIVE GROCER ARTICLE The Happiness@Work project was born out of tension created around whether or not to unionize. As the issue was resolved and the employees created their own union, the Co-op’s leadership felt it was time to realign with the Co-op’s mission and vision: “joyfully working together, providing a workplace that fosters opportunities for participation, empowerment and growth in an environment of mutual respect and cooperation.”

The Ashland Food Co-op created a Happiness@Work Team comprising board members, the general manager, and representatives from the newly formed employee alliance. After reviewing several proposals from consultants, the Co-op selected Capiche for the project.…

General Manager Amarotico says, “This work has had a positive impact on employee engagement. By implementing solutions they’ve designed, employees enliven the entire organization. It’s great that we’re making strides toward a happy workplace and have solutions being designed and implemented. The key take-away is that the results will include more productivity, happier customers, and an atmosphere with a vibe that more people want to participate in.”

Amarotico adds, “I would recommend Capiche to any organization that is truly committed to engaging with the nerve system of their organization with the intention of creating positive change.”

—What Would Increased Happiness Do for Your Business? Ashland Food Co-op Aligns Mission with Culture, Boosts Financial Success, by Chris Cook for Cooperative Grocer magazine

Southern Oregon Business Journal June 2021 | 13

HOUSING

Revisiting “Who Can A ord Housing in Bend?”

by Damon Runberg Regional Economist Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath, and Lake counties damon.m.runberg@oregon.gov (541) 706-0779

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everal years ago I produced some analysis that calculated who can afford housing in Bend. The relatively high cost of living even back in 2016 was leading many within the community to worry that meaningful contributors to our local workforce were being priced out of the local housing market. That early analysis showed that many professionals earning well above the median wage would have a dif cult time purchasing the median home. It also revealed that many households must rely on

multiple incomes to afford housing. Fast forward to 2021. Depending on where you look home prices have risen about 15% to17% over the past 12 months. It feels like it is time to revisit the question: Who can afford housing in Bend?

A major variable that impacts housing affordability is the cost of borrowing, or interest rates. Most of us do not have enough cash on hand to buy a home, particularly those of us concerned about

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affordability. Each 1 percentage point drop in your interest rate on a 30-year xed rate mortgage overcomes a 10% increase in home prices. In 2020 interest rate declines largely negated the home price appreciation; however, rates stopped falling in 2021 and are now very slowly ticking back up. Meanwhile, home prices continue to rise, leading to real declines in affordability.

The rst step of assessing who can afford housing is to pin down the cost of the house

itself. I went with the median sale price over the past year, then rounded down a bit to $525,000 for our Bend “starter home”.

This seems like a justi able gure as the sales mode in March 2021 was in the $500,000 to $550,000 range and there were only 15 houses for sale in Bend at $500,000 or below that month.

Second step, we need to know how much that house will cost as a monthly mortgage.

Using a 3% xed mortgage rate and estimating taxes/ insurance I created three different scenarios based on the level of your down payment. If someone could scape together 20% ($105,000) then their monthly mortgage would be $2,320, but the mortgage would be closer to $3,070 with zero down.

Third step, what are the income needs to afford the mortgage on this Bend “starter home”? Before we know how much income you need to afford that mortgage we need to identify a normal or appropriate amount of your household income that would go towards housing. You cannot apply 100% of your wages to housing as that would leave no room for things like food, childcare, or other household expenses.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) de nes households that spend between 30-50% of their income on housing as being cost burdened. At that level households begin having a dif cult time affording other necessities. So I am using an income level that intentionally places the household into a cost burdened state to see who can afford housing when stretched as far as possible. With a 20% down payment you need a household income of around $70,000 to buy that Bend starter house if you are spending 40% of your income on housing. With a lower down payment you will need an annual income of $85,000 to $92,000.

Last step, how do those income requirements align with local wage earners and household incomes? The good news is the income requirements to buy the median house with 20% down aligns nearly perfectly with the current median household income. The problem is that very few of our median households have $105,000 for a down payment sitting around in the bank. At 10% down (still a very large down payment) the median household cannot afford this Bend “starter home”. I included a variety of occupational wages for context.

As you can see, most households must rely on multiple wage earners to afford housing in Bend. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 66% of the wage earning family households in Deschutes County have more than one wage earner.

This analysis has focused exclusively on buying a home in Bend. However, if you are a renter then the household income needs are over $50,000, roughly equivalent to the median wage for all yearround, full-time workers. Housing has been and continues to be dif cult to afford for many local wage earners in Bend. The more someone must spend on housing, the less they can spend on other necessities or more discretionary purchases. I won’t get into policy solutions or ideas, but it is important to understand that many hardworking households in our community face the very real question, can I afford to live here?

Could your personal data be kept hostage for ransom?

Just shortly after clearing up the issues caused by ransomware in the national gas pipeline system, ransomware caused stoppages in meatpacking facilities across the country. While major corporations are hustling to ensure tighter security protocols are in place to prevent ransomware, you may be wondering if your computer or home network could be susceptible to this hack.

Yes, absolutely. In fact, amateur hackers gain skills by in ltrating individual people’s home networks. Ransomware is a malicious software program that people download to their computers, typically disguised as legitimate links or downloadable items. To reduce your risks, use a malware blocking software program on your devices, keep your operating system and your antivirus software updated, and avoid clicking on links in emails or downloading attachments if you’re uncertain about the sender. If you become the victim of ransomware, immediately contact your local of ce of the FBI for instructions: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/ eldof ces.

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by Kale Donnelly Workforce Analyst Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Sherman, Wasco, and Wheeler counties kale.donnelly@oregon.gov (541) 306-1645

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s local and statewide economic conditions continue to improve, Oregon’s employers are having a dif cult time hiring labor in today’s economy when unemployment levels are markedly higher than they were leading up to the pandemic. Typically after an economic downturn, there’s a greater supply of labor to employ as job openings begin to materialize again. This

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EMPLOYMENT

Central Oregon’s Latest Unemployment Levels Lower than Long-Term Average

isn’t necessarily the case today, as employers are experiencing dif culty in lling their job vacancies like they were pre-COVID. For a while, the state was posting unemployment rates south of 4.0%, reaching a record low of 3.3% in November 2019. Unemployment shot up to 13.2% in April 2020, as COVID restrictions took effect. Now, the statewide unemployment rate just

edged down to 6.0% in March 2021, lower than the long-term average of 6.8%.

Here in Central Oregon, the same narrative plays out: Record low unemployment rates heading into the pandemic, a rapid spike in unemployment once COVID-19 hit,

followed by a steady decline ever since.

Still, Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties have noticeably higher unemployment rates than they did leading up to spring of 2020 with 7.3%, 6.6%, and 6.8% unemployment rates in March, respectively. These are signi cant improvements from Crook and Deschutes counties’ pandemic high of 18.3%, and Jefferson County’s high of 17.0%. In fact, Central Oregon’s unemployment levels are well below their long-term average from 2001 to 2021.

Using a regional average, Central Oregon’s March 2021 unemployment rate of 6.7% is signi cantly lower than its average rate of 7.9% over that last two decades. While it took 69 months for the region to reach a 6.7% unemployment rate from the Great Recession peak, it has been only 12 months to get to this level since the peak of the COVID-19 Recession. That’s a signi cant swing in a short amount of time. A pivotal factor to consider when looking at this metric is that over half of the job losses in Oregon today are temporary. Those are folks who expect to be called back to their original place of work, and aren’t necessarily looking to ll another job opening.

to ll those positions that might be expected from elevated levels of unemployment. As it turns out, both Oregon and Central Oregon’s labor markets are tighter than you might think, and it’s not due to only one reason. Rather, it’s a combination of unprecedented factors that are hampering the potential supply of labor. This includes limited child care vacancies; working parents’ inability to work remotely; persisting concerns about exposure to the COVID-19 virus at work; and both enhanced unemployment insurance bene ts and expanded eligibility. Since it is a combination of these factors for most of Oregon’s unemployed workers, it’s

unlikely that the enhanced UI bene ts, alone, are keeping a vast number of workers from jumping into these open job vacancies.

It’s important to keep in mind the continued dilemma of today’s situation for many Oregonians. There are still constraints on our personal, social, and professional lives that impact the ability for many individuals to participate in the workforce. Pair that with the fact that half of the job losses are temporary and unemployment rates are well below their long-term average, this all helps provide some context for why our labor market is tighter than expected.

Also, while all sectors shed jobs at the onset of COVID-19, many have seen a large number of those jobs (if not all) return over the last year.

Depending on the type of job employers are hiring for, there might not be the excess labor pool

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Southern Oregon Business Journal June 2021 | 17

Lane County Depends on Migration for Population Growth

Workforce Analyst Lane, Linn, Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties henry.l. elds@oregon.gov 1401 Willamette Street Eugene, OR 97401 (541) 359-9178

Oregon had only a very small decline.

The chart below shows the growth rate of each area and the contribution to growth of the two population factors. Oregon grew at 11%, with about 80% of the change coming from net migration.

Central Oregon and speci cally Deschutes County, which has been a migration hub for many years, led the state’s growth on a percentage basis. Portland also grew faster than average.

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he newest estimates from Portland State University’s Population Research Center con rm what Oregonians have known for some time: Oregon continued its long population growth streak in the last decade.

While population growth can bring negative impacts, like greater competition when purchasing a home or increased traf c congestion, sustained population growth has been an asset for Oregon’s economy for decades.

Attracting workers from all over the U.S., as we do, increases the size and skill of Oregon’s workforce. Adding to population adds to demand for local goods and services, increasing the number of jobs.

The growth can be felt all across the state. Each region of Oregon has added population since the last Census in 2010. However, looking at Oregon’s nine workforce areas tells an interesting

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EMPLOYMENT

story about the reasons and rate of growth, which has impacts on the local economy.

There are two ways population changes. Net migration is the number of people moving here minus the number moving away. Natural increase or decrease is the number of people born minus the number of people who die. All areas of Oregon had positive net migration from 2010 to 2020, meaning that more people moved to a region than away, although at different rates.

When it comes to “natural change” not every area saw growth. In Lane County, the Rogue Valley, and the Coast, there was a natural decrease in population in the last decade, meaning that more people died than were born from 2010 to 2020. Southwestern Oregon and the Rogue Valley each had substantial natural decreases (a decline of around 3% of their 2010 population together) while Lane County and Northwest

The natural increase in the state’s population was driven by the Portland Metro, the midWillamette Valley, and Eastern Oregon. The population in those areas of the state is younger and more diverse, factors that contribute to a higher rate of natural population growth.

Seeing natural decrease over the decade in Lane County came as a surprise to many, but the trend has been coming a long time and is unlikely to reverse in the near future. As our population ages, and families have fewer children later in life, structural factors are bringing down rates of natural population growth in many areas of the U.S. Natural decrease in population doesn’t mean the sky is falling in Lane, the Rogue Valley or the Coast, but it’s important to understand the factors underlying the trends. If migration patterns (which are more variable than natural change) shift rapidly, it could have a signi cant impact on the structure of the workforce. For the time being, Oregon doesn’t look any less likely to attract newcomers than in decades past.

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Southern Oregon Business Journal June 2021 | 21

By Press Release

P

eople’s Bank of Commerce (OTCPK: PBCO) is pleased to announce the results of its annual shareholder’s meeting held on May 19, 2021. Several items of business were approved at the meeting, reinforcing shareholder support of the bank’s ongoing strategy.

All directors nominated to serve were elected as proposed in the 2021 proxy statement, including: • Bryan Webber (term expires at 2022 annual meeting) • Kerry Johnson (term expires at the 2023 annual meeting) • Kurt Kaufman (term expires at the 2024 annual meeting) • Benjamin Mackovak (term expires at the 2024 annual meeting) • James M. Wright (term expires at the 2024 annual meeting) Shareholders also approved the Plan of Reorganization and Merger dated March 16, 2021, pursuant to which the bank will become a wholly owned subsidiary of PBCO Financial Corporation. This item required at least two-thirds (66 2/3) af rmative votes from outstanding shares to be approved.

“The bank has considered the formation of a bank holding company for several years,”

commented Ken Trautman, CEO. “In light of our recent merger with Willamette Community Bank and asset growth achieved over the past year, the bank holding company will provide the bank additional growth opportunities and provide for alternatives in management of bank operations,” added Trautman. “We are in process of completing our Federal Reserve application and anticipate approval as early as the end of 3rd quarter 2021.”

A third item approved by shareholders was the Amendment to Article V of the Restated Articles of Incorporation to eliminate the current staggered board terms and to instead revert to annual election of all directors. This provision of the 2021 proxy statement will be fully implemented at the 2022 annual shareholder’s meeting when all directors will stand for re-election with annual terms.

The Amendment to Article IV of the Restate Articles of Incorporation to increase the authorized common shares from 6,000,000 to 10,000,000 also passed with a signi cant margin. With the recent completion of the Willamette merger, the bank had exhausted over half of the authorized shares available for issuance, which would have limited its ability to consider a stock dividend or other strategic growth initiatives, without rst

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People’s Bank Reports Results of Annual Shareholder’s Meeting

COMMUNITY BANKING

getting shareholder approval to increase authorized shares. This amendment will provide the bank exibility for managing capital going forward.

Finally, shareholders also approved the rati cation of Moss Adams, LLP as the bank’s independent auditor for its scal year ending December 31, 2021, as well as the nal item of business to approve one or more adjournments of the annual meeting, if necessary. However, based on proxies received prior to the start of the annual meeting, no adjournment was necessary as all items had received the required number of positive votes.

About People’s Bank of Commerce People’s Bank of Commerce’s stock trades on the over-the-counter market under the symbol PBCO. Additional information about the Bank is available in the investor section of the bank’s website at: www.peoplesbank.bank. Founded in 1998, People’s Bank of Commerce is the only locally owned and managed community bank in Southern Oregon.

People’s Bank of Commerce is a full-service, commercial bank headquartered in Medford, Oregon with branches in Albany, Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, Lebanon, and Salem.

Better Together People’s Bank and Willamette Community Bank have merged to become a new, combined organization.

We are excited to work with like-minded partners to extend our services to customers and businesses in the northern Willamette Valley, providing banking services that are truly in touch with the needs of our local residents.

Because together, we’re better.

COMMUNITY BANKING

By Press Release

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illamette Community Bank’s recent merger with People’s Bank of Commerce is set to have a big impact on homebuyers in the Willamette Valley. Willamette Community Bank customers will now be able to secure a home loan through the bank thanks to the combined nancial resources of the two organizations and People’s Bank’s extensive experience in providing mortgage loans.

Effective immediately Willamette Community Bank, a division of People’s Bank, will be able to offer mortgage loan programs to meet the needs of Willamette Valley residents, from rst-time home buyers to re nances and purchases.

“We are so excited to be able to provide these new products and services to the Willamette Valley through our partnership with Willamette Community Bank,” said Echo Hutto, Senior Vice President & Mortgage Division Manager of People’s Bank of Commerce. “People’s Bank has been providing

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Willamette Community Bank now offering home loans in the Willamette Valley mortgage loans for over 20 years to the communities we serve. We handle our loans from start to nish from our Operations site in Medford, OR. This gives the highest level of customer service to each of our borrowers and ensures a smooth and timely process from application to funding. This is an amazing opportunity for the Willamette Valley community to experience a true community bank. We put people rst, one loan at a time.”

As part of a diverse program offering, Willamette Community Bank is able to offer a variety of loan options, including FHA loans for rsttime homebuyers, VA and ORVet loans for veterans, and Re nance Loans for current homeowners among many other options. To nd the home loan option that’s right for you, visit willamettecommunitybank.co m and set up an appointment to speak with one of our loan of cers.

To ensure that customers can still work with a local partner, Willamette Community Bank has hired Terry Gillett as the Willamette Valley Mortgage Sales Manager to lead all local home loan efforts. Terry, who has over 20 years of experience in mortgage lending, will be based out of the branch in Downtown Salem, Oregon. He will be supported by the People’s Bank mortgage loan team as the local team is expanded over the coming months.

About Willamette Community Bank: Willamette Community Bank was founded in Albany, Oregon with an interest in preserving local nancial decision-making and building a better community. Through our merger with People’s Bank of Commerce, we’re able to remain committed to these principles while growing the positive impact we can have on our communities.

EMPLOYMENT Guy Tauer, Regional Economist Guy.R.Tauer@oregon.gov (541) 816-8396

Employment in Jackson County: April 2021 Gains in Leisure and Hospitality Boost Payroll Employment

PHOTO BY ANDREW "DONOVAN" VALDIVIA ON UNSPLASH

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otal payroll employment in Jackson County rose by 140 jobs in April with most industries showing small changes

over the month. Leisure and hospitality added 110 jobs, 50 of those in the accommodation and food services sector. Professional

and business services gained 40 jobs and other services also had a small gain, up by 30 jobs in April.

Employment fell in retail trade (-70); health care and social assistance (-50); and manufacturing (-50).

Government employment increased by 110 with gains in federal government (+50) and local government education (+50) accounting for most of the rise.

Over the past year payroll employment in the Medford MSA (Jackson County) rose by 9,010 jobs, an increase of 11.6%. While that jump is notable, the county is still an estimated 3,400 jobs below the pre-pandemic peak employment in February 2020.

Since April 2020, essentially the worst point during the pandemic in terms of job losses, leisure and hospitality showed the largest gain, up by 2,990 jobs. Other industries adding the most jobs since the recession’s nadir included retail trade (+1,790); health care and social assistance (+1,300); construction (+760); professional and business services (+620); manufacturing (+580); and other services (+560). Government employment is still down 120 jobs since April 2020. Local government education fell by 310 jobs over the year while federal (+70) and state government (+50) gained jobs.

Local government education has not shown the employment recovery seen in many privatesector industries, in part due to less inperson learning in most educational institutions.

Southern Oregon Business Journal June 2021 | 25

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Southern Oregon Business Journal March 2021 | 27

HOUSEHOLD PULSE SURVEY

Measuring the Pulse of Oregon Households amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

BY DAMON RUNBERG REGIONAL ECONOMIST CROOK, DESCHUTES, JEFFERSON, KLAMATH, AND LAKE COUNTIES DAMON.M.RUNBERG@OREGON.GOV (541) 706-0779

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he U.S. Census Bureau developed the Household Pulse Survey in order to measure the experiences of households during the COVID-19 pandemic. This experimental data series is a valuable tool for us in understanding how the pandemic is impacting Oregonians at the household level.

The U.S. Census Bureau began collecting weekly responses on April 23rd 2020, roughly a month after the onset of the direct impacts from the pandemic, and continued the weekly survey, with a few brief interruptions, through spring 2021. There are a variety of questions asked of respondents to identify the

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various ways the pandemic has impacted their household, including loss of employment income, food scarcity, housing insecurity, delays in medical care, and impacts on K-12 education. We will work through the results to see how Oregon households are being impacted in these uncertain times.

The last week of April 2021 is the most recent survey data available. One of the more forward looking or leading questions that give us insight into any impending layoff events is the question: “Do you expect someone in your household to lose employment income in the next 4 weeks?” The results from this question have tracked very closely with the broad employment trends through the pandemic. The good news is that the share of adults expecting a loss

of employment income by someone in their household is at its lowest levels since the survey began and has been trending down since the end of 2020.

Less than 14.5% of adults in Oregon think someone in their household will lose employment income in the next month compared with more than 37% this same time last year.

A loss in employment income doesn’t necessarily mean a permanent layoff. In many instances this can be a re ection of

furloughs, hours cut, or temporary layoffs. According to the Small Business Pulse Survey, also developed by the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly one out of 10 businesses reduced the hours worked by paid employees in the middle of April.

However, the share of businesses who have reduced their workforce hours has also been trending down aggressively the past several months. In February, at the peak of the winter COVID wave, one out of four businesses had reduced the hours worked by paid employees.

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Although an estimated 480,000 Oregonians lived in a house where someone expects to see their employment income decline in the near future, that doesn’t mean these households will necessarily see a net loss in their household income. Many workers have received additional unemployment insurance bene ts due to federal legislation that currently adds $300 to the weekly unemployment insurance bene t amount and expanded the program to assist self-employed workers and others not typically covered by unemployment insurance. In many instances this boost to unemployment insurance is likely resulting in near fullwage replacement for households who have lost or expect to lose employment income.

A loss of employment income becomes an increasing nancial strain on households and impacts households’ ability to meet basic needs, such as housing or food. Housing insecurity, as captured in the pulse survey, represents the share of adults who live in a household that missed last month’s rent or mortgage payment, or who have slight or no con dence that their household can pay next month’s payment on time. The combination of more generous unemployment insurance bene ts, the federal stimulus, and a rapidly recovering economy has drastically reduced the share of Oregon households experiencing these various forms of insecurity.

Housing insecurity has been fairly volatile with the percent of adults living

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in a household that missed a housing payment and feel like they will likely miss an upcoming payment peaking at 11% last November. As of the end of April the level of housing security had improved to 4.5% of adults in a household that has missed a recent housing payment. The share of mortgage loans that went into forbearance increased dramatically early in the pandemic. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Forbearance and Call Volume Survey, roughly 7.6% of loans across the nation were in forbearance last summer, representing around 3.8 million homeowners. Before the pandemic only around 0.25% of loans were in forbearance. As of the last week of April the share of mortgages in forbearance had dropped considerably to less than 4.5%.

Food insecurity peaked last December at 13% of adults living in a household where there wasn’t enough to eat. The level of food insecurity remains stubbornly high, but has continued to trend down the past few months. There is no great baseline for “normal” levels of pre-pandemic food insecurity to compare these results. According to the 2018 Current Population Survey, around 6.8% of adults in Oregon were food insecure before the

pandemic. Much of this scarcity is likely driven by the loss of employment income. However, we are also seeing food scarcity in ated by supply chain and distribution issues that may be limiting access to food, as well as notable increases in costs for many standard grocery items. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, food prices were up 3.4% in March 2021 compared with the same time last year.

As vaccines become more widespread and the economy reopens we can expect to see these household metrics continue to improve. There are big tailwinds behind us with pent up demand and a large savings rate. Consumers are eager to reengage the economy. This will lead to increased rates of hiring as businesses onboard to meet this increasing demand and workers feel more comfortable reengaging the workforce as the health crisis wanes.

by Greg Henderson

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ave we given any serious consideration to the possibility (probability?) that a good number of our economic problems are more about poor supply chain management – and planning – than about a pandemic?

Where Leadership Fails

who should stay on the job and who should be placed in another category – Unemployed.

A management preparation problem, not a Covid19 problem.

“Economies, competitors, and market forces move faster than ever, and businesses must adapt to keep pace. They need professionals throughout the organization who can manage change and communicate its impact and value to others.” – David Frayer, https://broad.msu.edu/news/

Assistant Dean for Outreach and Engagement, David Frayer at Michigan State University says about supply chain management, “The ultimate focus of the supply chain is to meet the consumer’s value proposition, deliver the product at the location they want it in the form they want it with the unique characteristics they want it.” Covid19 was generally unexpected and the unintended consequences have proven to be a world-wide problem. From a business-jobs- government view it is not a health issue as much as it is a forecasting and planning issue.

This shortage of employees means that businesses must operate effectively with fewer staff. The work still must be done so ef ciencies must be created to continue operations. Work-from- home choices became a popular management choice.

However, not all employees are technologically prepared to work from home; they need P.C.s, laptops, and other computer related equipment. All of which need chips, the same type of chips needed in Electric Vehicles. The same can be said of manufacturers of headphones, refrigerators and many, many other products.

The pandemic justi ably caused health concerns which caused the CDC and government leaders to become concerned over further spreading of the pandemic, which caused the creation of the separation of workforce into two categories, Essential Workers and Non-essential Workers, to provide a faultless way for leaders to decide

The wait time for the essential chips grows every week from a few days to weeks and even months. Fear is that manufacturers may begin to over-order to keep from having to close operations of the manufacturing operations while waiting for computer chips. The 2020 pandemic restrictions and consumer hesitations in

purchasing are a large part of the sudden demand following the slump of last year.

Coupling that with actual delays in production has created delays in satisfying production demands in 2021.

Remember the “toilet paper” scare of last year? Now it could be computer chips.

Supply Change Management has always been important in the manufacturing of products but is now recognized as critical with the experience of the halt in all stages of economic activity around the world due to Covid19. Preparing for the unexpected usually takes a backseat to known business management risks. Its logical but unwise.

Management planning recognizes again that unlikely events are still vital considerations. The “what if” factors are always present as are the decisions made in risk avoidance. Anyone involved along the value chain should be adding strategies for dealing with sudden changes in supply. There will be recovery but how long that may take is dependent on many things along the assembly line known as The Supply Chain.

It is the world we live in and management needs to keep up.

Greg Henderson Greg Henderson is the retired founder of the Southern Oregon Business Journal. A University of Oregon graduate and a six year U.S. Air Force veteran, he spent nearly 30 years in banking and nance. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications concentrating on some 20 industry sectors. Contact him at ghenderson703@gmail.com

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HOUSING

Central Oregon’s Housing Woes

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t has been well documented that in Central Oregon, particularly Bend, housing is in short supply. According to data from the Multiple Listing Service analyzed by the Beacon Appraisal Group we see that available inventory of residential real estate has remained below a single month since spring of 2020. That is very low. Generally, six months of inventory is associated with moderate home price appreciation. Levels below that have led to our very rapid home price appreciation over the past six months.

The lack of available housing on the market is not unique to us

here in Central Oregon.

Nationally, months of supply dropped to a record low of 1.9 in December 2020. The pandemic is to blame for much of these supply issues. Generally, geographic mobility has been reduced, leading to less churn amongst owners of existing homes. Moving during a pandemic can be stressful if you are in a vulnerable population and fewer are moving for work/ career reasons due to many jobs remaining remote for the time being. Additionally, historically low mortgage interest rates ramped up demand for residential real estate.

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Home prices have responded to this low supply and high demand environment. According to Zillow’s home price index, home prices rose roughly 8% nationally in 2020, compared with 3.3% in 2019. Deschutes County’s home prices rose a staggering 12.7% in 2020 compared with 3.7% in 2019. Perhaps more shocking is the fact that Zillow estimates that roughly 63% of the home price appreciation in Deschutes County over the past year happened since the end of summer.

When we see dramatic increases in valuation like this affordability becomes a major concern,

particularly if wages are not keeping pace. Let’s see how much it would cost to mortgage the average house in Deschutes County priced around $485,000 according to Zillow. If you are able to scrape together a large down payment of 20% to avoid private mortgage insurance, you are looking at a loan of about $388,000. As I said earlier, mortgage rates are near historical lows. Let’s assume you qualify for a 3% rate on a 30-year mortgage.

That is a monthly mortgage payment of roughly $1,920 when taking into account insurance and taxes. But if you were only able to put down 10% your monthly payment would be closer to $2,300.

Who can afford a home in that price range? The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers those who spend more than 30% of their income on housing cost burdened. It isn’t a perfect

measure of what you can afford, but it is a good starting point.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Deschutes County median household income in 2019 was $71,640. If the median household in Deschutes County could somehow scrape together that $97,000 (20%) down payment it would still be marginally cost burdened, spending 32% of their income on housing. If they could only put down 10% they would become severely cost burdened, approaching 40% of their income on housing. For some context, in the Salem metropolitan area the median household is not cost burdened at roughly 26% of their income on the average house with a 20% down payment and only marginally cost burdened with a 10% down payment, spending 31% of their income on housing.

the Bend area you would be hard pressed to nd one on the market.

As of January, there were only seven active listings in the entire City of Bend below $500,000.

However, there are some signs that housing inventory may start increasing in the next six to 12 months. As the pandemic wanes we will likely see an increase in churn within existing homes as normal geographic mobility picks back up. Although it is expected that our population will continue to grow at a fast pace, the churn of people moving within the region, as well as those outmigrants leaving the region, will lead to a more stable supply of housing on the market.

Longer-term optimism comes from the trend in new housing units permitted in 2020.

According to the U.S. Census Building Permits Survey, Deschutes County posted the highest number of residential units permitted since before the last recession. We nished the year with permits up nearly 19% from 2019 (+375 units). These new housing units permitted won’t immediately help our supply constraints, but we should start seeing an increase of new homes on the market by mid-late summer 2021. Hopefully the pace of building continues to accelerate as we move into 2021 as the solution to our housing woes is to build more housing.

Even if you could barely afford to buy a home around $485,000 in

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Rogue River Gorge photo by Paul Steele

WORKFORCE

BY ERIK KNODER REGIONAL ECONOMIST CLATSOP, COLUMBIA, LINCOLN, AND TILLAMOOK COUNTIES

Oregon’s Growing Hispanic Workforce increasing percentage of Hispanics are stating that their origin is from areas other than Mexico. The shares of Hispanics from South America, Central America, and other areas, such as Spain, have been slowly increasing since at least 2010 and the share of Hispanics in the state who claim an origin of Mexico dropped from 85% in 2011 to 81% in 2019. After Mexico, the second largest share was Hispanics who claimed a Guatemalan origin (2.9%), followed by a Puerto Rican origin (2.2%), and a Spanish origin (1.9%).

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regon’s Hispanic population continues to increase and so do the number of Hispanics in Oregon’s labor force. The Hispanic population has a higher labor force participation rate and Hispanics are employed at higher rates than whites who are not Hispanic. In fact, their rate of employment may have increased slightly since 2010 as unemployment rates dropped for most groups as Oregon’s economy recovered from the Great Recession.

From 2006 through 2010 Hispanics were an average of 8.9% of Oregon’s population ages 16 and over – the ages that the labor force is drawn from. Hispanics had a higher rate of labor force participation (73.5%) than non-Hispanic whites (63.4%), and they had a higher rate of employment (66.0%) than non-Hispanic whites (58.1%).

As the economy improved after the Great Recession in the years 2013 through 2017, labor force participation dipped slightly for both Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. (The labor

force includes both employed and unemployed people and can decline as the number of unemployed people declines.) The share of people who were employed diverged for the two groups, however. The average share of Hispanics who were employed increased slightly to 66.9% and the share of non-Hispanic whites who were employed decreased to 56.7%.

In fact, the Hispanic population has grown to account for more than 13% of the population in Oregon and continues to make up a signi cant and growing portion of our labor force. For the years 2015 through 2019, Hispanics had the third-highest employment-to-population ratio (68.2%) of all major racial and ethnic groups published by the Census Bureau. The only groups with a higher employment ratio were “Some Other Race” with 71.3% and “Native Hawaiian and Other Paci c Islander Alone” with 70.3% of the population employed.

Another thing that is changing about Oregon’s Hispanic population is their origin. A small but

One reason that an increasing share of Oregonians are Hispanics may be because they have had larger average family sizes than nonHispanics, although this difference has been decreasing. In 2010 the average family size for Hispanics households in Oregon was 3.93 people, and for non-Hispanics it was 3.05 people. In 2019, the average size for Hispanic households had dropped to 3.70 people, and for non-Hispanics it was 3.03 people.

The growth of the Hispanic population has attracted research into its national economic bene ts. Gonzalo Huertas and Jacob Funk Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute for International Economics estimate that, “The Hispanic demographic dividend will likely contribute 0.21 percentage point to the annual real GDP growth rate over the next 25 years.”

UNIDOS U.S. estimates that 30% of the U.S. workforce will be Hispanic by 2050. And nally, Robert W. Fairlie and others at the Kauffman Foundation have shown that Hispanics have the highest rate of entrepreneurship (business startup) of any major racial and ethnic group.

Much of this outsized economic impact is due to the younger age structure of the Hispanic population in the U.S. The increasing share of Hispanics in Oregon bodes well for the state’s economic future.

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EDUCATION from SOU News https://news.sou.edu/2021/06/sou-expands-online-master-degree-programseducation/

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outhern Oregon University has expanded its selection of online advanced degrees in education by adding seven new concentrations or certi cates to the three master of science in education options that were launched two years ago.

The education programs, designed primarily for working adult learners, provide pathways for career advancement and leadership roles in schools, corporations and nonpro t agencies.

The new, 100 percent online options for master of science in education degrees are for a certi cate in Reading Endorsement and for concentrations in Adult Education for English as a second language students, Leadership in Higher Education, Public Health Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Reading and Literacy, and Reading and Literacy Endorsement.

The three online master’s degree concentrations that launched in June 2019 are in Leadership in

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SOU expands online master’s degree programs in education

Early Childhood Education, Adult Education, and Curriculum and Instruction in STEM Education.

They currently serve 88 students.

“These new online programs demonstrate SOU’s commitment to accessibility,” SOU President Linda Schott said. “We want to provide meaningful academic opportunities to all who may need them, including adult learners seeking advanced degrees or certi cation to help them move forward in their careers.

“SOU is a valuable resource for its students at all stages of their lives and careers.”

The master’s in education program consists of courses taught by SOU faculty members that total 45 credit hours, regardless of the concentration chosen. The program can be completed in as few as 16 months, for tuition totaling $16,600.

SOU also offers an online master of business administration program with options for ve

concentrations that began in January 2018 and now serves about 200 students.

SOU provides faculty and academic programing for its online programs, and aligns its coursework with current trends in schools and the workplace by maintaining close connections with regional employers.

The new programs at SOU offer ve start dates per year. Candidates with bachelor’s degrees in any discipline will be considered for admission; no teaching license or GRE score is required.

The master’s in education curriculum features real-world applications designed to enhance leadership skills on the job and in the broader community.

SOU offers a total of more than 90 bachelor’s degree, graduate and certi cate programs in its seven academic divisions.

Southern Oregon Business Journal March 2021 | 37

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