CONTACT: David Cooke, Economist
(503) 947-1272
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Companion Release: Job Openings and Unemployment Insurance

March Labor Market Highlights Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.0 percent in March, the lowest since 9.9 percent in January 2009. Since a June 2009 high of 11.6 percent, Oregon's unemployment rate has trended downward. Following five consecutive months of rapid job gains during October through February, Oregon's seasonally adjusted payroll employment dropped by 2,500 in March. Construction cut 500 jobs in March, and now is only 300 above its year-ago figure. Professional and business services added 2,000 jobs in March. Since March 2010, it has grown by more than 4 percent, the fastest growth of Oregon's major industries.

 

Professional and business services added 2,000 jobs, when a gain of 1,200 is the normal seasonal expectation. This sector has grown rapidly for the past year and a half. The employment services industry, which is closely watched as an economic indicator, gained 700 jobs in March and is up 2,800 since March 2010. Meanwhile, professional and technical services added 1,000 jobs in March and grew by 3,700 over the past 12 months. This industry includes several types of businesses including legal, architectural, engineering, and computer systems design.

Trade, transportation, and utilities was nearly flat in March, with a loss of 100 jobs, during a month that typically sees a gain of 1,000 due to seasonal factors. This sector should be at the bottom of its annual employment pattern in March, with likely strong seasonal gains, especially in retail, throughout the rest of the year.

Wholesale trade rose sharply by 900 jobs in February, bouncing off its lowest employment level since 1996. Each of its three published components added jobs in March.

Leisure and hospitality added only 1,200 jobs in March, when a gain of 2,100 is the normal seasonal pattern. This modest growth followed robust job trends in January and February. Since March 2010, leisure and hospitality has added 4,100 jobs, an annual growth rate of 2.6 percent. Thus, the sector is expanding faster than overall employment and at a similar pace as manufacturing and educational and health services.

Hours and Earnings
(Establishment Survey Data)
The average workweek for Oregon's manufacturing production workers was 38.9 hours in March, slightly below the 39.2 average for February. Though this measure of the manufacturing workweek is down from the highs of 40 to 41 hours per week seen during much of the boom years of 2005 through 2007, it is well above the lows of below 36 hours per week during the depths of the recession in early 2009. The current average is near the normal range seen during much of 2001 through 2004.

Average earnings of all private-sector payroll employees in Oregon edged down to $21.68 per hour in March from $21.75 in February. This measure of earnings has shown a longer-term trend of steady gains over the past four years, since 2007 when the annual average was $20.61.

Unemployment
(Household Survey Data)
The national unemployment rate was 8.8 percent in March and 8.9 percent in February.

March marked Oregon's lowest unemployment rate in 26 months. Oregon's rate has not been lower since January 2009, when the rate was 9.9 percent.

Seasonally adjusted employment, as measured by the household survey, has risen rapidly over the past seven months. This measure of employment reached 1,799,059 in March, a gain of nearly 29,000 individuals since August.

In March, 208,420 Oregonians were unemployed.

Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the March county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Monday, April 18th and the statewide rate and employment survey data for April on Tuesday, May 17th.

Change to Monthly Employment Estimates
For many years, monthly employment estimates for Oregon and its metropolitan areas have been developed by economists and analysts with the Oregon Employment Department. These estimates were based on a small monthly survey of Oregon businesses and these economists' extensive knowledge about their local economies. Starting with the employment data for March 2011, responsibility for these estimates has shifted to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The estimates developed by BLS will be more heavily dependent on the sample of businesses and less reliant on knowledge of local economic events. This change could result in increased month to-month variability for the industry employment numbers, particularly for Oregon's smaller metropolitan areas. Comments or questions should be directed to Graham Slater, Administrator of the Oregon Employment Department's Workforce and Economic Research Division, at (503) 947-1212.

For the complete version of the news release, including tables and graphs, visit: www.QualityInfo.org/pressrelease.

If you need this release in the Spanish language, please contact Loretta Gallegos at 503-947-1794.

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 has auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities