July 16, 2019 10:30 a.m.
Oregon’s unemployment rate is essentially unchanged for the month of June.
New data from the State of Oregon Employment Department said the rate was 4.1 percent, compared with 4.2 percent in May. Oregon’s unemployment rate has been between 4.0 percent and 4.4 percent for 32monts, dating back to November of 2016.
State Employment Economist Nick Beleciks said the rate has been at or near record low levels for nearly 3 years. Of those unemployed in June, nearly half were either new or returning to the labor force. At 46.9 percent, the share of unemployed who were entrants was the highest since May of 1999. Another 38.5 percent were unemployed due to a job loss. The remaining 14.7 percent had voluntarily left their previous job and were looking for work.
Beleciks said in June, Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 900 jobs. The jobs gain in June followed a revised loss of 200 jobs in May. Monthly gains in June were strongest in business and professional services, which added1,200 jobs, and manufacturing, which added 900 jobs. Two industries with large losses in June were leisure and hospitality which shed 1,000 jobs and retail trade which lost 900 jobs. Other sectors were close to their usual seasonal pattern of job gains or losses for June.
Since June of 2018, total nonfarm payroll employment was up 46,100 jobs, or 2.4 percent. Oregon’s job growth rate over the past 12 months was faster than the U.S. job growth rate of 1.5 percent.
In June, the U.S. unemployment rate was little changed at 3.7 percent.