The end of the partial federal government shutdown boosted monthly hiring figures across Central Oregon, however when taking into account this temporary disruption the employment situation remained little changed over the first two months of 2019.
Crook County: The unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.3 percent in February. The rate is essentially unchanged from this time last year when it was 6.2 percent.
Crook County added 50 jobs in February, fairly typical hiring this time of year.
Total nonfarm employment was up 2.3 percent from February 2018 (+130 jobs). The largest gains were in local government (+50 jobs), followed by professional and business services and health services, each added 30 jobs from last year. There were no significant job losses over the past year.
Deschutes County (Bend-Redmond MSA): The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in February, a statistically significant decrease from 4.8 percent in January. The rate is largely unchanged from last February when it was 4.2 percent.
Deschutes County added 550 jobs in February, strong seasonal hiring for this time of year.
Total nonfarm employment is up by 3.6 percent (+2,960 jobs) from February 2018. The largest job gains were in professional and business services, which added 710 jobs over the past year. The fastest rate of job growth was in manufacturing, which expanded by just under 10 percent (+540 jobs). No private industry sector lost jobs over the past year.
Jefferson County: The unemployment rate was largely unchanged at 6.0 percent in February, it was 5.9 percent in January. The rate was 5.7 percent this time last year.
Jefferson County added 100 jobs in February, much strong gains than typically expected this time of year.
The rate of over-the-year job growth was up slightly in February to 4.2 percent (+270 jobs). Job gains continue to be concentrated in manufacturing (+90 jobs). There were also notable job gains in leisure and hospitality (+60 jobs) and professional and business services (+50 jobs).
The Oregon Employment Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) work cooperatively to develop and publish monthly payroll employment and labor force data for Oregon’s metropolitan areas and counties. The estimates of monthly job gains and losses are based on a survey of businesses. The estimates of unemployment are based on a survey of households and other sources.
The Oregon Employment Department payroll employment estimates are revised quarterly using information from unemployment insurance tax records. All department publications use data from this official Oregon series unless noted.
The department also makes the BLS-produced nonfarm payroll employment series for metropolitan areas available. These are revised annually by BLS.
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