Oregon’s unemployment rate ticked up a tiny fraction in July to 6.9 percent. The state’s unemployment rate has been bouncing between 6.8 and 6.9 percent for the past six months. The national average is 6.2 percent.
Employment Department economist David Cooke said the growing sectors of Oregon’s economy appear to be balancing out those that are shrinking. “We saw some gains in manufacturing up 1,600 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis; health care and social assistance up 1,300. Other services up 1,400.”
“And on the downside we saw retail trade down 1400 and private educational services down 1300. Overall these industries cancel each other out pretty much, and total non-farm payroll employment was up 200 jobs in July.”
