Central Oregon jobs picture mixed as ’14 ends

Central Oregon closed out 2014 with mixed results on the jobs front, with a strong year for two of three counties but Crook County lagging, the Oregon Employment Department reported Monday.

Over the past year, Deschutes County posted its strongest employment gains since before the recession in 2006, said Regional Economist Damon Runberg. The job growth spurred an expansion of the local labor force after years of declines.

It was also a good year in Jefferson County, which continued to see sustained employment gains. However, job growth in Crook County vanished in 2014, with recent layoffs as employment levels are little changed from this time last year, Runberg said.

Crook County : After recent layoffs in Crook County, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate jumped to 10.5 percent in December from 10.2 percent in November. The rate is down from the year-ago rate of 11.2 percent; however these improvements are not statistically significant.

Total nonfarm employment fell by 200 jobs in December. These losses far exceeded the seasonal decline of 60 jobs typically seen this time of year. December’s losses were concentrated in the wood product manufacturing sector, which shed 100 jobs from November.

Layoffs in Crook County negated the moderate employment growth seen over the past year. The largest losses were seen in wood product manufacturing (-60) and private educational and health services (-50). Even with these declines, private sector employment remains up by 30 jobs from last year due to growth in construction; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and leisure and hospitality.

Deschutes County (Bend-Redmond MSA) : The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dipped to 7.6 percent in December from 7.8 percent in November. Unemployment levels are down from this time last year when it was 8.7 percent.

The county shed 310 jobs in December, which is less than the expected seasonal decline of 490 jobs this time of year. Seasonal declines accelerated in mining, logging, and construction (-180).

Deschutes County added 3,050 jobs over the past year. Total nonfarm employment expanded by 4.6 percent, which is significantly faster than the statewide growth rate of 2.8 percent.

Mining, logging and construction is the county’s fastest-growing industry, expanding by nearly 18 percent since last December (+710 jobs).

Employment growth continues to be widespread, with a variety of industries posting large gains over the past year, including professional and business services (+630); retail trade (+500); educational and health services (+490); and leisure and hospitality (+420).

Jefferson County : The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.2 percent in December, a slight decrease from 9.4 percent in November. The rate was 10 percent this time last year, which is not a statistically significant decline.

Jefferson County shed 80 jobs in December, nearly in line with the loss of 70 jobs typically expected this time of year.

Total nonfarm employment in Jefferson County expanded by 3.6 percent over the past year, adding 210 jobs. The majority of these employment gains continue to be concentrated in the public sector; however there was moderate growth in manufacturing (+40); retail trade (+30); and leisure and hospitality (+30).

Benton and Hood River counties tied for Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December at 5.4 percent. Crook County (at 10.5%) registered the highest rate for the month.

Fourteen of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 6.7 percent and four were at or below the national rate of 5.6 percent. Harney County saw the largest improvement in its unemployment rate over the year with a drop of 1.7 percentage points.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in all of Oregon’s six broad regions between December 2013 and December 2014. The largest job gains occurred in Southern Oregon (3.0%) and Central Oregon (+2.4%). The Willamette Valley (+2.2%), Portland (+2.0%), and the Oregon Coast (1.7%) followed with notable growth, while Eastern Oregon (0.2%) saw little growth.