The Source Weekly reporting is made possible by the power of your support! Become a Member.

Oregon's unemployment rate drops to 4 percent

Oregon's jobless rate the lowest it's been since comparable records were kept

[
        {
          "name": "Air - Ad - Rectangle - 2 pack - Inline Content - 1",
          "insertPoint": "1/2",
          "component": "16844684",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "6"
        }
        
        ,{
          "name": "Air - Ad - Rectangle - 2 pack - Inline Content - 2",
          "insertPoint": "1/4",
          "component": "16844686",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "20"
        },{
          "name": "Air - Ad - Rectangle - 2 pack - Inline Content - 3",
          "insertPoint": "3/4",
          "component": "16844687",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "17"
        }
      ]

Oregon's unemployment rate drops to 4 percent

Image courtesy Mike Licht

New figures from the Oregon Employment Department signal a different story than the one you may be hearing nationally: That people are out of work and that the economy is suffering. Here in Oregon, it appears to be the opposite.

According to data released today, Oregon's unemployment rate dropped to 4.0 percent for the month of February 2017—down from 4.3 percent in January. That marks the lowest unemployment rate since "comparable records" began being kept in 1976, according to the employment department.

Oregon's growth rate continues to increase at about three percent—far faster than the U.S. growth rate of 1.6 percent.

According to the Employment Department, just three industries cut jobs over the past year: Mining and logging, wholesale trade and manufacturing. At the same time, the jobs growth has been largest in government, health care and social assistance, manufacturing and construction since January.

About The Author

Nicole Vulcan

Nicole Vulcan on Facebook

Nicole Vulcan on Twitter

Nicole Vulcan on Instagram

Email Nicole Vulcan

Nicole Vulcan has been editor of the Source since 2016. You can mostly find her raising chickens, walking dogs, riding all the bikes and attempting to turn a high desert scrap of land into a permaculture oasis.