Contact: David Cooke, Economist
Oregon Employment Department
(503) 947-1272
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Oregon's Employment Situation: March 2010

Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 10.6 percent in March compared with 10.5 percent in February. The rate has been essentially unchanged for the most recent five months. Oregon's unemployment rate was 11.2 percent in March 2009.

The U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in January, February and March.

In March, Oregon's seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment dropped by 400 jobs, following a loss of 900 (as revised) in February.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
In March, most of the major industries performed near their normal pattern. Only two major industries showed a seasonally adjusted job change of 1,000 or more: manufacturing (+1,100 jobs) and educational and health services (-1,000).

Manufacturing rose by 1,100 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, reaching a total of 162,400 jobs in March. This puts the industry back where it was during August through December 2009.

Wood product manufacturing was flat in March at 19,400 jobs, after having lost substantial numbers of workers over the past two years. Wood products employed more than 30,000 as recently as three years ago.

Fabricated metals manufacturing was also flat in March at 12,800. This industry's employment has plunged during the past year and a half, after having employed more than 17,000 two years ago.

Machinery manufacturing continues to fall, dropping to 8,700 in March, after having employed more than 12,000 two years ago.

Computer and electronic product manufacturing employment rose by 700 in March, but this followed a drop of 900 in February. The industry has been close to the 35,000 employment level for the past 12 months.

Transportation equipment manufacturing shed 400 jobs in March. The industry is down to 8,400 jobs, which is less than half its recent high of over 18,000 reached three years ago.

Perhaps the most positive component of manufacturing has been food manufacturing. It added 300 jobs in March and is up 2,000 jobs since March 2009. The March employment total for the industry was 23,400, which was its highest March reading since comparable records began in 1990.

Educational and health services cut 400 jobs during a month when it typically would add 600 due to normal seasonal changes. Most of the cuts in March came from ambulatory health care services, which shed 600 jobs. This industry employed 67,200 in March and is flat with its year-ago figure. The other three components of health care and social assistance are all up from their year-ago levels.

Government added 1,500 jobs in March when a gain of 900 is the normal seasonal pattern. Intermittent workers hired by the U.S. Census totaled 930 in March and 502 in February. The addition of the 428 Census workers boosted both federal government and total government for March.

State government employment added 700 in March and is up 600 since March 2009. Local government showed little gain in March and has been trending downward over the past year and a half, evidenced by a drop of 1,300 jobs since March 2009.

Leisure and hospitality has shown signs of improvement in recent months. Seasonally adjusted employment in the industry has risen in each of the past three months. The gains so far have been only a modest reversal of the steep decline in the industry during late 2008 and early 2009. Since March 2009, accommodation is up 200 jobs, while arts, entertainment, and recreation is up 400 jobs.

Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
In March, Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.6 percent, essentially unchanged from February's 10.5 percent.

In March, 229,083 Oregonians were unemployed. In March 2009, 241,319 Oregonians were unemployed.

Even though Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has been holding relatively steady over the past five months, the civilian labor force has been expanding for the first three months of 2010. This has been caused largely by an increase in labor force participation, meaning that a higher proportion of adults are joining the labor market. Oregon's seasonally adjusted civilian labor force hit a recent low of 1,935,774 in December 2009. By March 2010, it has risen to 1,955,720.

The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the March county and metropolitan area unemployment rates on Tuesday, April 20th and the statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for April on May 18th.

For the complete version of the news release, including tables and graphs, visit: www.QualityInfo.org/pressrelease.

If you need this release in the Spanish language, please contact Loretta Gallegos as 503-947-1794.

For help finding jobs and training resources, visit one of the state's WorkSource Oregon Centers or go to: www.WorkSourceOregon.org.

Equal Opportunity program has auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities.