Employees vs. Independent Contractors: Cheat Sheet Correctly classifying workers as employees or independent contractors is essential for a company to comply with various federal and state laws. This cheat sheet outlines the U.S Department of Labor’s economic reality test for classifying workers. It also includes the IRS’ description of the common law test for determining worker status. Employers can use this cheat sheet to help confirm they are considering the relevant factors when classifying workers.

Click Here to read the entire report…

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Mary’s Woods is hosting a 2-day meal packing event this week. They are hoping to pack and distribute 35,000 meals to community members facing food insecurity during the Holiday season. The goal is to provide “Holidays Without Hunger” throughout our community.

For more information about this inspiring event, or to learn how you can help, please contact Amanda Aller at aaller@marywoods.org or 503-697-6450.…

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A technology tool has burst into the news cycle in recent months, and businesses are finding ways to use is to grow their sales, improve their marketing and cut down time spent on some tasks. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come to the public mind through Chat GPT, Microsoft’s Edge Bing Chat, Canva’s “Magic Write” tool and others. There’s a race on to make this tool work for business.

Find out more about how this technology could help your business at the Chamber’s free “Chat/GPT – What’s all the fuss about?” event at the Lake Oswego Public Library on Wednesday,…

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A recent poll reported that almost half of Americans don’t know why we celebrate the 4th of July. It’s hard to imagine an adult who never learned about America’s fight for independence in school or at home.

During a trip to Philadelphia, it is possible to visit Independence Hall, where the contents of the Declaration of Independence, and in fact the very idea of whether becoming independent was a good idea, was debated. It’s quite humbling to imagine the scene and the various conflicting ideas the delegates faced,…

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The State of Oregon’s Employment Department provides regular updates on the health of Clackamas County’s and the Portland Metro Region’s economy. Recently, the Department reported on the growth of local “Gross Domestic Project” (GDP). GDP is a measure of the market value of final goods and services produced within a county area in a particular time period and adjusted for inflation. GDP is important because it gives information about the size of the economy and how an economy is performing.…

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Did you know the Lake Oswego Fire Department can help you protect your home from wildfire? The Department not only publishes important information on its website, but will also visit your property to assess your risk and advise on what actions you might take to lower that risk.

We’ve had a dry spring – are you doing everything possible to protect yourself, your neighbors and our community from wildfire? If you’d like to request a visit from LOFD please complete the form located HERE.…

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Ok, dumb question, but the US Chamber of Commerce has a current awards program that could put that cash into your business. The USCC is recognizing top businesses in seven regions across the US, and the grand prize winner will score those bucks. If you’re a regional finalist, you’ll also have the chance to travel to Washington, DC this Fall for the chance to network with other small business owners from across the country, and swap stories about the challenges you’ve faced and successes you’ve enjoyed.…

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The Oregon Employment Department regularly releases monthly data on changes in employment and population in Clackamas County and around the State. These monthly snapshots give a picture of current conditions, but also can help identify trends in the local economy.

The most recent report, which summarizes data collected in April of this year, shows that the strong employment rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic has probably reached at least a temporary zenith. Total nonfarm jobs were 171,300 in April,…

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The Lake Oswego Chamber has partnered with West Linn under the Business Recovery Center umbrella to accomplish a variety of important tasks for businesses in our area. These include such items as Covid recovery, business promotion and business education. The most recent example is the “Wander Willamette” promotional video now available. Running about 90 seconds, the video shows off some of the great attractions in our area.

This video is available for your use to forward to anyone you know who may be considering visiting our area for a vacation or business purposes.…

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Each quarter, the Oregon Employment Department performs a statewide survey of business to determine how many employers are currently hiring and specific information about each job opening, such as the job title and educational or experience requirements. They also ask whether the employer is having a difficult time filling positions, in order to report on that aspect of the hiring picture and to determine whether there are ways to make jobs easier to fill. The Department recently released its report summarizing the final quarter of 2022.…

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