politics

Oregon Loses 5,300 Jobs In September

By Kristian Foden-Vencil (OPB)
Portland, Oregon Oct. 13, 2015 5:18 p.m.

The number of people employed in Oregon dropped by 5,300 in September, according to new numbers from the state. That’s a big U-turn after months of rapid growth.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:

The decline in September was spread across eight of 14 industry groups. The four sectors that lost the most jobs were: Construction, retail, professional services, and leisure.

State employment economist David Cooke said it’s too early to tell if the losses are just a blip or a signal of slower growth to come. “That was the first decline that we’ve seen in 36 months, dating back to September 2012, when employment dropped by 11 hundred," he said.

"So that’s an unusual situation to see a drop of more than 5,000 jobs in a single month. Very rare over the last six years.”

Two industrial sectors did expand in September — government and health care.

Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 6.2 percent. That compares to a national rate of 5.1 percent.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR:
THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR: