MARCH 25, 2022, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A7
Oregon unemployment rate drops to 4%
Oregon’s Employment Department
says the state’s unemployment rate
dropped to 4.0% in February, from
4.2%, as revised, in January. Oregon’s
unemployment rate dropped rapidly
from its peak in April 2020 through
late 2021, and is now at its lowest
level since prior to the pandemic-in-
duced recession in March 2020 when
it was 3.5%. The U.S. unemployment
rate was 3.8% in February and 4.0% in
January.
In February, 59,000 Oregonians
had been unemployed for less than
six months, which was near the lowest
number in two decades. Meanwhile,
24,000 Oregonians had been unem-
ployed for more than six months, as
the number of long-term unemployed
decreased rapidly since hitting a
recent peak of 65,000 in April 2021.
In February, Oregon’s non-farm
payroll employment rose by 12,300
jobs, following a revised gain of 5,100
jobs in January. This was the largest
monthly gain since July 2021 when
34,800 jobs were added.
In February, gains were largest
in leisure and hospitality (+3,500
jobs), construction (+2,300), health
care and social assistance (+1,600),
and professional and business ser-
vices (+1,200). Eight other industries
each added between 200 and 900
jobs. None of the major industries
had a substantial job loss in February.
Leisure and hospitality rapidly
added jobs all of this year and last
year. It added 51,700 jobs, or 34.4%,
since February 2021. Despite these
Liberty House to
hold auction, raffle
Liberty
House
Child
Abuse
Assessment Center is holding a raffle,
dinner and auction dubbed Cherish
the Children at the Salem Convention
Center, April 30. This is their most sig-
nificant annual fundraiser, and they are
asking the local community to come out
and offer support.
More than 180 different raffle prizes
will be awarded, including international
trips, weekend vacations, recreation
opportunities, food items and home
improvement resources. The total value
of the prizes exceeds $50,000.
The event features a social hour, a
three-course meal, and a silent auction.
Liberty House provides critical ser-
vices to more than 1,200 children and
their families in Marion and Polk coun-
ties who are facing concerns of abuse,
neglect, trauma or grief.
Go to libertyhouse.ejoinme.org to find
out all the details and to purchase raffle
tickets and/or dinner admissions.
gains, leisure and hospitality still
accounts for a large share of the jobs
Oregon has not recovered since early
2020, with 14,600 jobs left to recover
to reach the prior peak month of
February 2020. The industry has
regained 87% of jobs lost early in the
pandemic.
Construction reached another
record high of 116,100 jobs in
February. Mild weather in mid-Feb-
ruary allowed roofers and other con-
tractors to get jobs done that may
have been postponed in more inclem-
ent winters.
Professional
and
technical
services employed 106,000 in
February and continued its rapid
expansion. It added 4,700 jobs, or
4.6%, since its pre-recession peak in
February 2020.
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