This article originally appeared in Cascade Business News.
As 2025 gets underway, the national economy is on firm footing. Oregon’s economy is weaker than the US, but still positive: 2.7 percent year-over-year growth for U.S. in Q3 2024 vs. 1.2 percent year-over-year growth for Oregon. Similarly, the Bend area lags behind the state in job and labor force growth but is seeing healthy gains in wages. At a macro level the economy is strong, but as a retirement and tourist destination, central Oregon has some headwinds when it comes to workforce affordability and finding workers to meet business growth demands.
Central Oregon’s strong local economy, with a vibrant small business community and entrepreneurial ecosystem, tends to isolate us from seismic macro shifts."Cory Allen
SVP / Team Leader
Read the full article in Cascade Business News.