C.O. jobless rates edge upward; growth may have plateaued

Central Oregon’s job picture changed little in June, with unemployment levels ticking upward in all three counties, a state Employment Department economist said Tuesday.

“Job gains (were) fairly consistent with seasonal norms over the past several months,” said Regional Economist Damon Runberg.

“Unemployment levels ticked up across all three counties in June behind strong labor force growth,” Runberg said.

“Deschutes County continues to add jobs at a faster pace than any other county in Oregon, however it looks like the pace of growth has plateaued,” he added.

Here’s his report:

Unemployment levels rose across Central Oregon in June, while hiring activity was fairly consistent for this time of year. Growth in the local labor force was a significant factor in the rise of local unemployment rates.

Crook County: The unemployment rate ticked up slightly in June to 7 percent from 6.8 percent in May. The rate is down significantly from last year when it was 8.6 percent.

Crook County added 160 jobs from May; gains were slightly higher than typically expected this time of year. Construction continues to add jobs at a fast pace, up 30 jobs from May and up nearly 100 jobs from early spring. Leisure and hospitality also posted strong monthly hiring (+70 jobs) as we approach the peak of summer tourism season.

Job growth over the past year continued in Crook County at a steady pace. Employment levels are up by 130 (+2.2%) from last June. Although the county continues to experience modest job growth, recovery from the recession remains elusive. At the current pace of job growth it would take 12 years from today for the county to add back all the jobs lost during the recession. Much of the growth over the past year was due to a resurgence of construction (+90 jobs) and a recovery of leisure and hospitality (+120).

Deschutes County (Bend-Redmond MSA): The unemployment rate rose to 5.1 percent in June from 4.6 percent in May. This represents the first significant increase in the unemployment rate since spring 2009. The rate remains down from last year when it was 6.1 percent.

Seasonally adjusted employment declined for a second consecutive month, with Deschutes County adding only around 1,230 jobs, compared to the typical gain of 1,400. The recent slowdown is not particularly concerning, as seasonally adjusted employment remains up a staggering 1,770 jobs from January.

Over-the-year job growth in Deschutes County remains the fastest of Oregon’s 36 counties, yet the rate of growth continues to slow. The county added around 4,300 jobs from last June, a growth of 5.7 percent.

Industry employment gains remain diverse, with all published industries adding jobs over the past year. The construction industry (plus mining and logging) was both the fastest growing (+15.9%) and accounted for the most new jobs (+870) of published industry sectors.

Jefferson County: Seasonally adjusted unemployment rose slightly to 6.6 percent in June from 6.4 percent in May. The rate is down from last year when it was 7.4 percent.

Jefferson County added 190 jobs in June, much stronger than typically expected this time of year. The unseasonable hiring was mostly due to large gains from tribally-owned establishments (+110 jobs).

This strong hiring in June helped to bolster job growth over the past year. Employment levels are up 110 from last year, a modest growth of just 1.7 percent. Public sector (including tribal) hiring accounted for around half of all job gains over the past year. Private sector industry gains were concentrated in health care and tourism.

Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the July county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, August 23rd and the statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data on Tuesday, August 16th.