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.