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| Oregon's jobless rate holds steady in June | ||
| 07/16/2007 | ||
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Contact: David Cooke, economist WorkSource Oregon Employment Department (503) 947-1272 David.C.Cooke@state.or.us Oregon’s Employment Situation: June 2007 Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 5.1 percent in June compared with 5.0 percent in May. The U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in both May and June. In June, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment declined by 1,200, following a gain of 3,100 in May. Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data) Seasonally adjusted payroll employment declined for the first time in five months, slipping 1,200 in June after a revised gain of 3,100 in May. In June, construction, manufacturing, and professional and business services each posted seasonally adjusted declines of nearly 2,000 jobs. Meanwhile, two major industries posted substantially better than expected showings: educational and health services (+1,300 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (+1,800). Construction added 300 jobs in June, much less than the typical seasonal gain of 2,200 for the month. The weak showing was partially due to a strike, which resulted in several hundred drywallers being counted as not employed for the month. In addition, the strong job gains in May, which were aided by warm and dry weather, likely pulled some of the summer gains forward into spring. Despite the meager June job gain, construction is still near a record employment level, at 103,300. This is 300 above the June 2006 level. Manufacturing added 1,700 jobs in June, half the normal seasonal gain. Nondurable goods manufacturing added 1,300 jobs and at 52,500 jobs is equal to its June 2006 level. Food manufacturing is 800 above its year-ago level, while paper manufacturing is down 500 jobs during the past 12 months. Meanwhile, durable goods manufacturing posted another in a string of disappointing monthly reports, adding only 400 jobs, when a gain of 1,000 is typical for June. Transportation equipment manufacturing cut another 300 jobs and is now down 2,500 jobs since June 2006. Furthermore, job losses over the past year have been pronounced in wood product manufacturing, which has cut 2,900 jobs over the year, and in computer and electronic product manufacturing, which is down 1,300 jobs. Professional and business services posted an unusual seasonally adjusted decline of 1,800 jobs in June. Despite the one-month slip, the industry has grown rapidly over the past three years. Several of its component industries have shown strong gains over the past 12 months: legal services (+1,300 jobs), architectural and engineering services (+1,900), and services to buildings and dwellings (+1,200). Educational and health services dropped 4,000 jobs in June, primarily due to the start of summer break at many schools. This drop was less than the normal June decline. The May employment figure for this industry was revised downward substantially and now shows a flat trend in seasonally adjusted employment between April and May. Over the year, the 1.6 percent employment gain in educational and health services is running above the growth rate of Oregon’s overall economy, which is up 1.2 percent in that time. Leisure and hospitality exceeded seasonal expectations for the month by adding 4,700 jobs, the largest monthly gain of the major industries. Food services and drinking places, which employ nearly three quarters of all workers in the industry, added 2,600 jobs in June and 7,500 over the past 12 months. Another rapidly growing component, Accommodation, accounts for 24,000 jobs and has added 1,100 since June 2006. Unemployment (Household Survey Data) Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in June and 5.0 percent in May. It remains close to levels seen throughout the past 18 months. In June, 98,029 Oregonians were unemployed, compared with 103,753 in June 2006. The Oregon Employment Department will release statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for July 2007 at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 13, 2007. — end —
For the complete version of the news release, including tables and graphs, visit: www.QualityInfo.org/pressrelease.For help finding jobs and training resources, visit one of the state's WorkSource Oregon Centers or go to: www.WorkSourceOregon.org. Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. |
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