May 25. 2011
IN S ID E
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FredMeyer
The Week ¡n Review
What's on your list today?,
Steady Job Growth Seen
Unemployment
rate finally falls
below 10 percent
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
A fter years o f double-digit un
em ploym ent statistics, O regon
has finally fallen below 10 percent
in its unem ploym ent rate for the
months o f March and April, which
could be a positive sign o f spring
and sum m er job growth within the
Portland com m unity.
A ccording to the Oregon Em
ployment Department, the season
ally adjusted jobless rate fell to
9.6 percent in April, which was the
lowest rate since 9.2 percent in
December 2008.
As a hovering effect o f the re
cession, the unem ploym ent rate
lingered in the m id -10 percent
range for alm ost a year after hit
ting a high o f 11.6 percent in June
2009.
Nick Beleiciks, an employm ent
econom ist for the state’s em ploy
ment departm ent, explained the
9.6 percent rate is a good sign that
more and more people are able to
find jobs.
“W e’ve seen really steady jo b 4,600 jo b s when around 1,600 is
growth since October, and it’s just the usual increase,
taken a little while for the unem-
“A nother industry that really
ploym ent rate to catch up and grew , and is still grow ing, is edu-
start dropping because o f these cation and health services,” he
new jo b s, he said.
explained. “Demand for education
At one point during the reces- has increased throughout the re-
sion, he explained, Oregon had cession, and the aging popula
t e second highest
tion is creating more
unemployment rate in
dem and for health ser
the nation. Although
v ices.”
last m onth, Oregon
The m anufacturing
was ranked 8th high
industry also showed
est, the April num ber
growth by adding 700
will definitely make
em ploym ent opportu
changes
to
th e
nities in April, when a
rankings.
loss of 500 jo b s is the
“It’s hard to pre
average for the month.
dict, but if industries
A lth o u g h th e s e
keep adding jo b s at
s ta tis tic s
sh o w
the sam e rate they
O regon’s econom y is
have been over the
gaining m om entum in
past six m onths, the Nick Beleiciks
its recovery, the reces-
unem ploym ent rate will continue sion and recent budget cuts are
to com e dow n,” said Beleiciks.
still playing a toll in the lives o f
Certain industries have seen O regonians.
particularly large jo b growth over
Still, industries are growing, and
the past several m onths, includ- according to the survey data,
ing leisure and hospitality, which April marked O regon’s lowest un
experienced major cut-backs from em ploym ent rate in 28 m onths,
individuals during the past few “This is a good thing,” Beleiciks
years o f econom ic hardship. Re- said. “I think everyone is ready to
cent figures showed the leisure see O re g o n ’s u n e m p lo y m e n t
and h o sp ita lity secto r g ain ed co m ed o w n .”
Three Injured in Weekend Shootings
Portland police suspect gang- black m ale teen w earing a red hat.
related activities are behind two
T he n ex t d ay , o ffic e rs re
shootings that happened over the sponded to another report o f gun
weekend that left three people with fire at the Interstate Bar and Grill,
gunshot w ounds.
located at North Interstate and
On Saturday, M ay 21, officers Skidm ore. Once on the scene, o f
and a gang enforcem ent team re ficers found Paul Anthony Hall,
sponded to reports o f a gun fire at 32, suffering from two gunshot
Raym ond Park in southeast Port w ounds, one to the leg and the
land where a 16-year-old male was other to the abdomen.
shot in the leg around 10:42 p.m.
A second victim, 25-year-old
The shooter was described as a K h risto p h e r B yron H am m ick,
w alked into a local hospital later
th at m o rn in g w ith a g u n sh o t
wound to the leg.
According to the police, there
is no apparent connection to the
people involved in the shootings,
but G ang Enforcem ent Team s are
c u rr e n tly in v e s tig a tin g b o th
cases.
D etectives ask anyone with in
form ation about either shooting
to contact the Police Bureau.
Airline Pilot Saves Man on Fire
On Sunday, shortly after 7 p.m.,
an off duty airline pilot noticed a
sleeping bag on fire with a man
inside while driving along North
east Lombard Street at 42nd Av
enue.
John Filipowicz, a former Coast
Guard helicopter pilot who now flies
jet airplanes for Alaskan Airlines,
pulled his car over and managed to
put the fire out. He used a fire extin
guisher from his car, but the victim
was badly burned.
The man was taken to Legacy
Emanuel Hospital where his injuries
have been described as life threat
ening. Although the identity of the
man in the sleeping bag remains
unknown, investigators believe he
was homeless and may have rolled
into a nearby campfire.