Business News And Updates

The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) and PBA Charities have created a new fund, the COVID-19 Relief Fund, and will provide $500 to licensed beauty professionals who are unable to work due to COVID-19. 

Oregon’s agricultural producers can now apply for the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program. The federal program is part of the recently passed CARES Act. It offers loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 crisis. Producers should contact the Small Business Administration district office at 503-326-2808 for more information. 

The State of Oregon has a Work Share Program that can help businesses avoid layoffs by retaining employees who have seen reduced hours due to COVID-19. The program is available to businesses with three or more employees. 

On March 29, the CARES Act was signed into law, making large amounts of forgivable loans available to small businesses. We are researching and compiling as much information as we can on these programs as possible. Visit our Small Business Resources Page for more on what we have so far.

The new federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) creates employee leave rights in light of the coronavirus pandemic.  A summary of those rights can be found in the new posting from the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL has also issued a helpful summary of the law for employees and FAQs.

 Details continue to be worked out in relation to how eligible Oregon state government employees will request and record leave under the FFCRA. We will provide additional information as soon as it is available.

Governor Brown's Executive Order 20-11 prohibits any evictions during the COVID-19 Crisis. 

 “This is both a moral and a public health imperative. Keeping people in their homes is the right thing for Oregon families, and for preventing the further spread of COVID-19.”

Under the Governor's emergency powers, the order places a temporary hold throughout Oregon on law enforcement actions relating to residential evictions for not paying rent. 

Oregon is providing resources for employees whose employers are not following the "Stay At Home, Save Lives" mandate.

Travel Oregon has created an online form to capture feedback on how to best meet the needs of the 115,000 Oregonians who are directly employed in the tourism industry 

Lots of farmers and ranchers are experiencing many disruptions in markets and are being forced to throw out product and depopulate herds. Find out more about what assistance is available at the USDA Farmer's Site.

There are a lot of changes happening to battle the economic impact of COVID-19. Your questions may already be answered in the available FAQ Pages.