BY RACHEL CHEESEMAN

SALEM- While the Oregon unemployment rate has dropped since its peak of 11.6 percent May and June of 2009 to 10.6 percent this May, it still sits slightly above the national average of 9.7 percent.

Brooke Jackson-Winegardner, an economist for the Employment Division, said that there are several factors that contribute to the higher unemployment rate in Oregon. Seasonal industries like agriculture, construction and timber along with the state’s small labor force were two, but a third less-likely candidate was Oregon’s mild climate.

She said that states with milder climates typically have higher unemployment rates than those with more extreme climate variations. Workers in states with more volatile climates might choose to move to states with more mild climates if they lose their jobs, and workers in states with mild climates are more likely to stay in their home state, she said.

“It’s definitely a strange factor,” she said, “but it seems to contribute.”

Within Oregon, employment in the manufacturing sector increased from its low point in February, and the government added 6,800 jobs.

According to the Employment Department’s news release, some of these jobs are the result of an increased workload on agencies coping with the economic downturn and jobs funded by stimulus grants. Over two-thirds of the jobs, Jackson said, were federal employees hired temporarily for the census.

Retail added only 300 jobs during a season that typically shows rapid growth in this sector. Jackson said this is probably a lasting effect of the recession.

While educational and health service jobs decreased by 1,900, the report pointed to signs of long-term growth in the sector despite the one month decline, like the increased number of jobs in residential care facilities and social assistance.

Counties like Deschutes and Crook, whose economies are strongly related to the housing industry, are sitting above the state average with rates of 16.6 and 14.1 percent respectively.

Gilliam County boasts the lowest unemployment rate, only 7.1 percent, with more jobs expected to be created with the upcoming cherry harvest in June.

BY SARAH ROSS

SALEM- Oregon’s unemployment rate stayed unchanged in April, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Oregon Department of Employment. The state’s political leaders have begun to debate whether the news indicates a nearing end to the recession.

Governor Ted Kulongoski called the report “a welcome turn in the right direction” but stressed the need to “remain focused on fostering economic growth and opportunities in the private sector to help continue this direction of job creation.”

Lake Oswego’s Senator Richard Devlin, the Majority Leader for the State Senate, also spoke of the positive news.

“Nearly 4,000 more Oregonians will be earning paychecks this month, making this the largest gain in two and a half years,” said the Senator. “This is sold evidence that things are getting better. On top of this, the construction industry, which has been especially hard hit, experienced its first seasonally adjusted gain since early 2007.”

Senate Minority Leader, Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, issued an immediate response calling the declaration of success premature.

“Half of the ‘new jobs’ the Majority Leaders brags on aren’t long-term family wage jobs at all, but temporarily hiring of census workers,” Ferrioli said.

“While it is true the construction industry added 1,300 jobs, Oregon needs an additional 41,000 jobs in the construction sector just to return to pre-recession levels.”

Tuesday’s report from the Oregon Department of Employment put the unemployment rate at 10.6% for April, which is the same rate as that in March. This is 0.7% above the national unemployment rate.

According to the Employment Department, Oregon’s unemployment rate has been “essentially unchanged for the most recent six months.”

BY SARAH ROSS

SALEM- The state’s unemployment situation remains bleak with 11 percent of Oregon workers out of jobs, the state reported this week.

The report showed some gains in the private sector and the manufacturing sector but listed a total of 209,576 Oregonians unemployed in December, up from 173,121 unemployed in December 2008.

Gov.Ted Kulongoski issued a statement calling the news promising but still showing that many Oregonians remain in need of work.

“Because of this need, I will continue to urge Congress to consider another unemployment benefit extension to ensure those who are out of work will continue to be able to look for work and support themselves and their families. On the state side, I will also work with legislative partners in February to reauthorize a state extension of unemployment benefits to complement any action at the federal level.”

In a presentation to a House Committee on January 14, the Employment Department showed a list of all unemployment programs for which Oregonians are eligible, ranging from 26 weeks to over 2 years of benefits.

Christina Martin, an analyst at Oregon Politico’s parent company the Cascade Policy Institute, rebutted the governor’s plan, stating, “While it feels good to extend unemployment insurance benefits, economics teaches that it will extend unemployment for the average beneficiary and that it is a poor investment in economic recovery. It fails to truly help the unemployed. Ultimately, workers need opportunities. That means we should be stimulating entrepreneurial activity through tax cuts and other incentives.”

Gov. Kulongoski ended his statement by saying, “As Governor, my focus remains on working across public and private-sector lines to ensure Oregon is well positioned for the long term, which means investing in job creation as well as helping Oregonians manage this difficult period.”