The Vancouver-Portland metro area’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.7 percent in December, almost unchanged from November’s revised rate of 10.8 percent. The year-earlier rate was 8.2 percent.
An estimated 123,400 area residents were unemployed in December, 26,800 more than one year earlier. Nonfarm payroll employment declined by 1,900 jobs in December on a seasonally-adjusted basis following the loss of 3,200 jobs in November. Over 2009, the five-county metro area, including Clark County, lost 48,200 jobs, a decline of 4.7 percent.
