The Oregon Department of Employment released unemployment rates for June 2008, and the statistics reveal at least some good news for part of Central Oregon.
Last month in Jefferson County the unemployment rate decreased to 8.1 percent from 8.7 percent, while in Crook County it decreased from 8 percent to 7.7 percent. By comparison, unemployment rates in Crook and Jefferson counties for June 2007 were 5.8 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively, and 5.4 percent and 5.1 percent during the same period in 2006. During the recession of 1990, June unemployment rates in Crook and Jefferson counties totaled 6.7 percent and 6.3 percent.
Incidentally, Crook County normally exhibits some of the highest unemployment rates in the state in year over year comparisons, according to the DOE.
Unfortunately, Deschutes County did not fare as well, but then again unemployment rates didn’t get worse either. June 2008 figures held steady at 6.1 percent, unchanged from May 2008, but still an increase of 1.6 percent over the same period in 2007. By comparison, June unemployment rates during the recession of 1990 reached 8 percent. In June of 2006 the rate was 4.4 percent, the lowest on record in recent years, according to DOE statistics.
Oregon added 9,900 non-farm jobs in June 2008, including 200 new construction jobs and 1,000 new manufacturing positions. In fact almost every sector of the Oregon economy experienced increased job growth from May to June, a notable exception being the financial industry, which shed 400 positions over the last month, according to the DOE.
Detailed DOE reports are available online at http://www.employment.oregon.gov
