Oregon Results (9)

In the news: By Ben Alexander, Headwaters Economics— The recession has been difficult across the West and especially so in Central Oregon. With 20-20 hindsight, it is now clear that a heavy reliance on real estate, construction and related finance is perilous. Such an economic foundation is too narrow by itself to sustain long-term prosperity and resilience. With high land and home prices, specifically in Bend and Sisters, recruitment interest dwindled and existing companies considered departure. But the downturn also forced a restructuring that has improved the region's economic competitiveness. Central Oregon is a special and unique place with many advantages. The region's challenge is to sustain its desirability as a place to live to help create a broader range of industry diversity, especially in high-wage, high-skill sectors.…

In the news: A Montana-based nonprofit is studying why Deschutes County has struggled more during this recession than other similarly populated areas that, like Deschutes, saw strong growth before the economic downturn. Headwaters Economics' study aims to provide an analysis about how the county can better diversify its economy, how it has done so in the past and how it can become more resilient to recessions. The information gathered by Bozeman-based Headwaters will be used to learn why businesses come to Deschutes County, what keeps them here and the pros and cons of operating a business in the area. Headwaters is interviewing people from a county in Idaho and another in Utah, which had pre-recession growth rates and economic environments similar to Deschutes County, to try to determine why those two counties have suffered less than Deschutes during the recession.…