About a month ago we shared a news article about Harry and David, a large employer in Southern Oregon, which is financially struggling. Last week just about every news source from The Oregonian to the Wall Street Journal unfortunately reported the follow-up news: Harry and David filed for bankruptcy. As Bloomberg News noted, the announcement is especially hard on Medford.
More recently we shared an article ago about the effect of the Japanese turmoil on Oregon's imports and exports. Wood product manufacturing will likely be affected in the future, when Japan starts to rebuild. The Statesman Journal pointed out that Japan presently receives much of its wood supply from Canada and parts of Asia, but increased demand during their recovery could boost local sales. There's just one possible hiccup: Japan requires manufactured wood products to meet certain criteria and then be certified. Currently, only one local company (in Washington) certifies their wood under the Japanese standards.
Shifting gears, let's talk about something much closer to home: Unemployment insurance. About a week ago Governor Kitzhaber signed two bills that will extend benefits for qualifying Oregonians. The Employment Department will send notice to anyone potentially eligible for the benefits. Learn more at the Department's main website, www.employment.oregon.gov.
If you are a job seeker, the Mail Tribune has some interviewing tips that might prove helpful. A few of the suggestions are basic (learn about the company in advance, turn off your cell phone, etc.), but there are also some excellent, less obvious ideas on the list.
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