THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022 A13
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022
TODAY
TONIGHT
HIGH
79°
LOW
50°
Cooler but pleasant with
plenty of sun
Sunny and pleasant
ALMANAC
Normal
Record
78° 104° in 2021
44° 27° in 1945
PRECIPITATION
24-hour total
0.00"
Record
0.98" in 1907
Month to date (normal)
0.75" (0.63")
Year to date (normal)
2.32" (5.49")
Barometric pressure at 4 p.m.
30.02"
SUN, MOON AND PLANETS
Rise/Set
Today
Wednesday
Sun
5:25am/8:52pm 5:25am/8:52pm
Moon
4:43am/9:09pm 5:33am/9:56pm
Mercury 4:14am/7:21pm 4:16am/7:25pm
Venus
3:33am/6:25pm 3:33am/6:27pm
Mars
1:40am/2:50pm 1:38am/2:50pm
Jupiter 12:57am/1:17pm 12:54am/1:13pm
Saturn 11:23pm/9:35am 11:19pm/9:31am
Uranus
2:28am/4:51pm 2:24am/4:47pm
New
First
Full
Last
Jun 28
Jul 6
Jul 13
Tonight's sky: New moon.
Jul 20
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
UV INDEX TODAY
10 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
5
10
10
5
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index ™ number,
the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low,
3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
POLLEN COUNT
Grasses
Very high
Trees
Moderate
Weeds
Moderate
Source: Oregon Allergy Associates
SATURDAY
85°
54°
Sunny
83°
52°
Partly sunny with a
thundershower
Partly sunny
EAST: Plenty of sun-
shine today; windy in
the afternoon. Mainly
clear tonight. Sunny
and nice tomorrow.
Monday
Today Wednesday
Monday
Today Wednesday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Portland
Astoria
64/53/0.00 63/55/r
63/54/c
La Grande
97/55/0.00 81/50/s 79/50/s
Prineville
La Pine
93/47/0.03 75/45/s 79/46/s
Baker City
97/48/0.00 84/44/s 79/45/s
Redmond
Medford
97/63/0.00 88/55/s 88/56/s
Brookings
59/52/0.01 63/51/pc 67/52/s
Roseburg
Newport
61/50/0.13 59/51/c 61/50/pc
Burns
101/50/0.00 89/42/s 82/46/s
Salem
North Bend
64/51/Tr
63/52/pc 63/52/pc
Eugene
93/55/0.00 77/51/pc 78/50/pc
Sisters
Ontario
104/55/0.00 99/60/s 90/59/s
Klamath Falls
94/48/0.00 82/43/s 82/44/s
The Dalles
Pendleton
98/62/0.00 85/57/s 84/56/s
Lakeview
92/39/Tr
85/44/s 82/45/s
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice, Tr-trace
As of 7 a.m. Monday
Reservoir
Acre feet
Capacity
Crane Prairie
48293
87%
Wickiup
67610
34%
Crescent Lake
18020
21%
Ochoco Reservoir
9886
22%
Prineville
43295
29%
River fl ow
Station
Cu.ft./sec.
Deschutes R. below Crane Prairie
244
Deschutes R. below Wickiup
1280
Deschutes R. below Bend
133
Deschutes R. at Benham Falls
1610
Little Deschutes near La Pine
110
Crescent Ck. below Crescent Lake
10
Crooked R. above Prineville Res.
46
Crooked R. below Prineville Res.
142
Crooked R. near Terrebonne
45
Ochoco Ck. below Ochoco Res.
10
Monday
Hi/Lo/Prec.
96/69/0.00
97/51/0.02
103/54/0.00
97/61/0.00
92/60/0.00
93/51/0.05
104/62/0.00
Today Wednesday
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
77/56/pc 76/55/pc
81/48/s 83/47/s
83/46/s 83/47/s
81/53/s 80/52/s
76/54/pc 78/54/pc
78/47/s 83/49/s
85/59/s 84/59/s
NATIONAL WEATHER
-10s
-0s
0s
10s
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
70s
80s
90s
100s
110s
NATIONAL
EXTREMES
MONDAY (for the 48
T-storms
Shown are today’s noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Rain
Showers
Snow
Flurries
Ice
Warm Front
Stationary Front
Cold Front
Source: USDA Forest Service
Fireworks
Continued from A11
“The decision was made
early because we wanted
people to be able to make
plans with their families,”
said Flagstaff city spokesper-
son Sarah Langley.
Fire officials in some cities
worry that the cancellations
could prompt some people
to ramp up their use of con-
sumer fireworks in residen-
tial areas.
“We are typically worried
about exposure of sparks and
fire to homes and dry brush,”
said Phoenix Fire spokesper-
son Capt. Evan Gammage.
“We get so many calls around
this time of year.”
In New Mexico, the most
destructive wildfire season
in modern history won’t
stop that state’s major cit-
ies, including Albuquerque
and Santa Fe, from holding
Fourth of July fireworks dis-
plays under fire department
supervision.
Many local jurisdictions
still prohibit the private use
of fireworks amid a punish-
ing drought that continues
despite the recent arrival of
summer monsoon rains.
Some national forests in
the U.S. Southwest eased or
rescinded fire restrictions,
and welcomed back visitors
to vast tracts that temporarily
were closed because of wild-
fire danger. Fireworks are al-
ways prohibited in national
forests
In Sacramento, Cal Expo
officials announced they
won’t have a fireworks dis-
play because of staffing and
resource shortages. Instead,
they are focused on the Cali-
fornia State Fair & Food Fes-
tival to be held the last two
weeks of July.
In Lompoc, on Califor-
nia’s central coast, the an-
“We are typically worried
about exposure of sparks
and fire to homes and dry
brush. We get so many
calls this time of year.”
— Phoenix Fire spokesperson
Capt. Evan Gammage
nual Fourth of July fireworks
show won’t be held because
of concerns about potential
fire hazards.
A popular northern San
Joaquin Valley fireworks
show that in pre-pandemic
times brought tens of thou-
sands of people to Lake Don
Pedro, California, was can-
celed because of drought
concerns, including the lake’s
projected low level.
“The safety of our guests
and being good stewards
of the land entrusted to us
are our highest priorities,”
the Don Pedro Recreation
Agency said in a statement.
The fire danger also
prompted Lakewood and
Castle Rock in Colorado to
cancel their pyrotechnic dis-
plays. Still, an Independence
Eve fireworks show with live
music by the Colorado Sym-
phony is planned July 3 at
Denver’s Civic Center Park.
The Southgate Mall in
Missoula, Montana, canceled
its annual Fourth of July cel-
ebration and fireworks show
without giving a reason.
Elsewhere in the U.S.,
some North Carolina towns
canceled displays after a re-
cent fireworks-related explo-
sion killed a man on a small
farm and a large cache of
fireworks were destroyed in a
related fire.
In Minneapolis, a fire-
works display over the Mis-
sissippi won’t be held because
of staff shortages and con-
struction at a nearby park.
Monday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec.
Abilene
93/67/0.01
Akron
78/61/0.00
Albany
80/69/0.30
Albuquerque
70/59/0.73
Anchorage
64/49/0.00
Atlanta
91/76/2.56
Atlantic City
75/71/0.49
Austin
101/75/0.92
Baltimore
84/74/0.01
Billings
85/52/0.00
Birmingham
92/74/0.15
Bismarck
88/47/0.00
Boise
104/65/0.00
Boston
77/70/0.67
Bridgeport, CT 75/70/0.91
Buffalo
72/64/Tr
Burlington, VT
81/68/1.20
Caribou, ME
73/63/0.21
Charleston, SC 90/68/Tr
Charlotte
90/76/0.36
Chattanooga
89/73/0.44
Cheyenne
86/47/0.02
Chicago
80/60/0.00
Cincinnati
80/62/0.02
Cleveland
75/66/0.00
Colorado Springs 75/54/0.00
Columbia, MO
83/60/0.00
Columbia, SC
85/73/0.12
Columbus, GA
96/74/0.05
Columbus, OH
81/62/0.00
Concord, NH
80/68/0.04
Corpus Christi
96/71/0.00
Dallas
94/73/0.00
Dayton
80/60/0.00
Denver
88/54/0.00
Des Moines
83/55/0.00
Detroit
77/60/0.00
Duluth
76/44/0.01
El Paso
91/72/0.00
Fairbanks
82/53/0.00
Fargo
83/53/0.02
Flagstaff
79/44/0.00
Grand Rapids
73/55/0.00
Green Bay
78/53/0.00
Greensboro
85/72/0.53
Harrisburg
87/74/0.10
Hartford, CT
76/71/0.06
Helena
94/50/0.00
Honolulu
87/71/0.00
Houston
99/79/0.04
Huntsville
90/73/0.00
Indianapolis
80/59/0.00
Jackson, MS
84/73/0.42
Jacksonville
89/65/0.00
Today Wednesday
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
88/69/t
95/71/pc
77/57/s
83/64/pc
77/54/s
83/59/c
81/63/t
84/66/t
69/56/pc
71/57/s
82/71/t
83/72/t
77/66/s
78/69/s
93/67/t
94/69/pc
81/59/s
87/64/s
91/60/pc 83/56/pc
87/71/t
86/71/t
83/61/s
92/59/pc
99/59/s
86/56/s
77/62/pc
80/65/s
78/61/s
81/63/s
71/58/s
74/59/pc
76/56/pc 79/58/pc
73/49/s
77/57/c
84/72/t
82/72/t
83/68/pc
84/68/t
84/70/t
86/72/t
87/59/pc
90/61/t
84/66/s
84/70/pc
79/56/s
85/62/s
75/59/s
83/64/pc
86/58/pc
90/60/t
84/61/s
90/65/s
84/71/t
84/70/t
90/73/t
84/71/t
80/57/s
86/64/s
78/51/s
83/56/pc
92/75/t
89/73/t
92/71/pc
93/74/s
79/59/s
85/63/s
92/64/s
92/62/t
85/66/s
91/70/s
80/61/s
84/63/sh
72/48/t
70/56/sh
88/71/pc
91/73/t
79/56/c
81/55/c
74/56/pc 88/66/pc
81/53/t
76/52/t
82/62/s
83/62/pc
82/58/t
77/64/s
80/65/pc
82/69/c
81/59/s
88/64/s
80/56/s
85/61/s
87/55/t
82/52/s
86/74/c
87/73/sh
95/75/pc
91/74/t
87/70/pc
88/71/t
81/59/s
87/64/s
90/70/t
89/72/t
90/73/t
87/73/t
Amsterdam
Athens
Auckland
Baghdad
Bangkok
Beijing
Beirut
Berlin
Bogota
Budapest
Buenos Aires
Cabo San Lucas
Cairo
Calgary
Cancun
Dublin
Edinburgh
Geneva
Harare
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Johannesburg
Lima
Lisbon
London
Madrid
Manila
72/60/pc
92/75/s
60/51/pc
106/78/s
94/80/t
81/69/c
83/72/s
79/61/pc
64/49/r
93/68/t
60/49/c
88/74/pc
93/74/s
73/50/t
88/78/t
66/51/sh
63/55/r
75/61/t
59/48/c
91/81/c
81/68/t
83/63/s
57/39/pc
65/58/pc
76/61/s
70/58/pc
90/61/s
89/78/t
City
Juneau
Kansas City
Lansing
Las Vegas
Lexington
Lincoln
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Madison, WI
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Newark, NJ
Norfolk, VA
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orlando
Palm Springs
Peoria
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Richmond
Rochester, NY
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Fe
Savannah
Seattle
Sioux Falls
Spokane
Springfi eld, MO
Tampa
Tucson
Tulsa
Washington, DC
Wichita
Yakima
Yuma
Monday
Hi/Lo/Prec.
77/50/0.00
81/57/0.00
76/55/0.00
105/85/0.00
83/65/0.14
83/50/Tr
86/75/0.00
86/62/0.00
84/65/1.08
77/55/0.00
88/73/0.00
90/77/0.00
76/62/0.00
85/58/0.00
90/74/0.00
90/78/0.03
77/72/0.29
81/76/0.29
92/71/0.59
84/66/0.00
83/51/0.00
92/74/0.17
108/86/0.03
80/58/0.00
82/75/0.50
103/79/0.16
77/61/0.22
74/65/0.06
73/68/0.66
93/76/0.08
88/45/0.00
99/62/0.00
87/73/1.64
75/63/0.01
102/59/0.00
83/61/0.00
98/69/0.00
101/78/0.03
75/62/0.00
70/56/0.00
82/59/0.00
68/53/0.42
93/67/0.00
91/64/0.00
85/52/0.00
93/59/0.00
83/57/0.00
93/79/0.11
96/71/0.11
87/65/0.00
83/75/0.21
76/62/0.05
98/53/0.00
107/82/0.00
Today Wednesday
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
78/54/pc
66/53/c
84/65/s
89/67/s
82/63/pc 84/62/pc
106/85/s 105/84/s
80/58/s
88/64/s
89/66/s
92/72/s
85/63/pc
90/70/s
85/66/s
87/67/s
82/60/s
89/66/s
81/60/pc
84/71/s
88/67/pc
92/75/s
89/78/t
89/79/t
85/64/s
75/67/s
82/61/t
90/75/pc
86/64/s
90/70/s
89/78/t
87/77/t
79/65/s
82/68/s
83/65/s
86/67/s
77/64/pc 81/66/pc
85/62/pc
90/64/s
89/67/s
92/73/s
92/75/t
92/73/t
111/85/pc 109/83/s
84/63/s
90/66/s
81/65/s
86/67/s
107/89/pc 106/88/t
76/54/s
82/61/s
76/56/s
77/58/s
80/60/pc
82/63/s
82/66/pc
85/68/c
90/59/s
95/60/t
93/60/s
92/57/s
82/62/s
85/66/pc
74/55/s
76/58/pc
97/58/s
91/55/s
85/66/s
92/70/s
101/74/s
94/69/s
91/74/t
96/74/pc
76/65/pc 74/64/pc
71/55/pc 68/55/pc
84/57/pc
79/55/s
78/55/t
81/60/t
88/73/t
84/73/t
68/56/pc
65/55/c
89/62/s
97/74/pc
82/55/s
76/56/pc
83/59/s
89/62/s
93/78/t
93/78/t
98/79/pc 100/77/t
87/64/s
91/66/s
81/66/s
87/69/s
86/63/s
91/66/s
85/52/s
81/53/s
109/83/pc 109/83/pc
102/82/0.00
74/55/0.29
75/70/0.18
90/66/0.00
72/56/0.00
86/73/0.28
102/90/0.00
88/79/0.00
70/57/0.69
72/66/0.21
77/59/0.00
72/64/0.00
98/70/0.00
59/30/0.03
64/55/0.00
76/69/0.01
81/75/0.52
97/78/0.00
88/79/0.07
85/63/0.00
59/48/0.07
91/78/0.00
85/74/0.00
91/77/0.00
70/61/0.00
81/61/0.00
92/66/0.00
88/66/0.00
111/84/s
71/57/t
74/57/pc
78/57/s
75/52/c
86/78/sh
104/88/pc
90/78/c
71/54/sh
75/54/pc
78/56/pc
74/65/pc
92/70/pc
61/37/pc
75/57/pc
72/64/sh
82/75/t
96/80/pc
88/77/t
84/59/r
59/47/c
94/81/t
85/73/s
88/78/pc
76/58/s
69/57/r
87/68/pc
91/66/pc
INTERNATIONAL
contiguous states)
National high: 119°
at Death Valley, CA
National low: 30°
at Yellowstone N.P., WY
Precipitation: 3.54"
at St. Augustine, FL
FIRE INDEX
Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available
Not available
Periods of clouds and sun
NATIONAL
Hood
River
541-683-1577
WATER REPORT
Bend
Redmond/Madras
Sisters
Prineville
La Pine/Gilchrist
Plenty of clouds
TRAVEL WEATHER
Umatilla
88/59
Rufus
Hermiston
78/55
88/59
83/59
Arlington
Hillsboro Portland
Meacham Lostine
84/59
74/52 77/56
78/47
Wasco
80/46 Enterprise
Pendleton
The Dalles
CENTRAL: Sunshine
Tillamook
79/45
81/56
85/57
Sandy
85/59
McMinnville
61/52
and breezy today;
Joseph
Heppner
La Grande
72/54
Maupin
Government
71/53
pleasant in central
81/50
80/46
Camp
84/54 Condon 82/51
Union
Lincoln City
parts during the
79/51
65/49
82/50
Salem
Spray
morning. Mainly clear 58/53
Granite
Warm Springs
76/54
Madras
83/51
Albany
78/45
tonight.
Newport
Baker City
81/49
82/50
Mitchell
59/51
73/51
84/44
WEST: Mostly sunny
Camp Sherman
82/51
Redmond
Corvallis
John
Unity
and nice today. Clear Yachats
76/49
83/46
74/50
Day
Prineville
58/51
86/44
tonight. Partly sunny
Ontario
Sisters
82/48
Paulina
86/50
99/60
tomorrow, except sun- Florence
Eugene 78/47
Brothers 82/46
Bend
Vale
nier in the south.
60/52
77/51
79/45
Sunriver 79/50
99/60
Nyssa
75/47
Hampton
Cottage
La Pine
100/61
Juntura
Oakridge
Grove
75/45
82/45
OREGON EXTREMES Coos Bay
Burns
94/52
77/50
77/51
Fort Rock
63/51
Riley 89/42
MONDAY
Crescent
80/43
85/45
High: 104°
75/44
Bandon
Roseburg
Christmas Valley
Jordan Valley
at Ontario
Beaver
Frenchglen
Silver
61/52
81/53
84/43
92/49
Low: 39°
Marsh
Lake
89/48
Port Orford
76/39
83/41
at Lakeview
Grants
Burns
Junction
Paisley
61/52
Pass
95/51
Chiloquin
86/44
88/53
Rome
Medford
78/46
Gold Beach
88/55
96/50
59/51
Klamath
Fields
Ashland
McDermitt
Lakeview
Falls
Brookings
93/49
85/54
82/43
92/49
63/51
85/44
Seaside
63/54
Cannon Beach
61/54
70°
48°
71°
50°
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Astoria
63/55
MONDAY
SUNDAY
OREGON WEATHER
TEMPERATURE
High
Low
FRIDAY
84°
53°
83°
49°
Clear to partly cloudy
Bend Municipal Airport through 5 p.m. Mon.
Monday
99°
57°
THURSDAY
WEDNESDAY
68/59/0.57
93/72/0.00
58/49/0.00
104/83/0.00
87/80/0.46
87/72/0.22
84/75/0.00
97/68/0.14
64/46/0.07
91/64/0.00
54/48/0.00
91/74/0.00
95/77/0.00
77/48/0.00
90/75/0.00
61/48/0.11
64/52/0.06
72/68/0.06
59/49/0.00
93/81/0.02
84/66/0.04
83/62/0.00
59/37/0.00
65/58/0.00
72/59/0.00
66/54/0.12
84/63/0.01
88/78/0.00
79/60/pc
91/75/s
60/51/r
111/81/s
95/81/pc
80/68/sh
83/72/s
73/64/t
64/49/r
97/69/pc
63/48/s
90/73/t
93/74/s
64/47/t
89/77/t
61/51/sh
66/53/sh
81/60/t
56/47/r
91/83/pc
80/68/t
85/64/s
57/37/pc
65/58/pc
72/58/pc
71/54/sh
92/62/s
87/79/t
Mecca
Mexico City
Montreal
Moscow
Nairobi
Nassau
New Delhi
Osaka
Oslo
Ottawa
Paris
Rio de Janeiro
Rome
Santiago
Sao Paulo
Sapporo
Seoul
Shanghai
Singapore
Stockholm
Sydney
Taipei City
Tel Aviv
Tokyo
Toronto
Vancouver
Vienna
Warsaw
107/82/s
75/54/pc
76/57/c
76/56/s
72/55/c
88/79/sh
105/84/pc
91/78/c
71/54/s
71/54/sh
79/58/pc
81/68/s
87/67/s
60/40/pc
75/56/s
72/62/r
78/73/sh
91/80/t
86/78/t
76/60/sh
65/50/pc
95/81/sh
85/74/s
90/76/pc
77/58/c
65/54/pc
95/69/t
91/70/pc
Hay
Continued from A11
“It should be as high or bet-
ter than last year.”
He said he sold his hay for
$190-$290 a ton last year on
the farm — where the buyer
loads and hauls it from the
farm.
Kurt Melville agreed it will
likely be comparable to last
year, but he said he hasn’t been
keeping close track of the mar-
ket.
“It’ll be a little bit lighter
than normal,” he said. “Until
we actually get some up, some-
times it’s a bit deceiving, but
I think it’ll be about 20% less
than usual, but I could be com-
pletely wrong until we start
running balers through fields.”
Tyler Coppin, on the other
hand, is quite optimistic as to
the price this year.
“I’m thinking this is going
to be highest prices we’ll get in
anyone’s lifetime,” he said. “It’ll
be knocking on the door of
$350-$400 a ton, maybe more.”
He attributes this to the
fact that competitors in the
Ellensburg, Washington, and
Columbia Basin areas had
trouble with their crop getting
Wage
Continued from A11
And then last year, as
Oregon got back to work, em-
ployers faced a labor shortage
and frequently had to pay far
above the minimum to attract
workers.
The federal minimum wage
has been $7.25 an hour since
2009 and doesn’t appear likely
to rise anytime soon, with con-
gressional Republicans and
Democrats at odds over how
high any increase should be.
But most states, like Oregon,
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Kerry Searles cuts alfalfa hay on a Cornerstone Farms Joint Venture field just north of Joseph on Wednes-
day . It was the year’s first cutting of the alfalfa crop.
rained on.
“If we can get our hay in, it’ll
be premium,” he said.
Premium quality is the
highest with the largest nutri-
ent percentage.
Coppin said his farm sells
mostly as an export crop to
Japan.
“I’m already selling hay
from last year for more than
last year,” he said.
Production cost
But it’s not all about the
Did You Know?
Just 108,000 of Oregon
workers earned the mini-
mum last year, 5.1% of the
workforce, according to a
new report by Anna John-
son, economist with the Or-
egon Employment Depart-
ment. That’s down from 6.6%
in 2020, and 7.3% in 2019.
have hourly minimums above
the national rate. Oregon’s is
among the highest, but a few
are even higher.
quality of the crop. Growers
have to contend with the cost
of production, as well.
The growers interviewed —
to a man — agreed the high
cost of petroleum is affecting
nearly everything.
“Fuel prices are terrible; oil
prices are terrible,” Coppin
said.
This not only affects fuel
used in farm machinery, but
the cost of transporting crops
to market. It also boosts the
cost of fertilizer and other
chemicals heavy in petroleum.
Tim Melville said it also af-
fects the availability and cost
of parts for farm machines.
“Some of the parts have
doubled in price in past 12
months,” he said. “Fertilizer’s
double what it was last year.”
Coppin said the production
costs are also seen in the avail-
ability of parts.
“Everything’s hard to get,”
he said, estimating costs are up
30%. “I don’t know anything’s
not hard to get.”
Washington’s hourly min-
imum, for example, rose to
$14.49 in January. It’s $17.27
an hour in Seattle, which ap-
pears to be the nation’s highest
minimum wage.
Raising the minimum wage
remains contentious politically
because it increases costs for
business owners and because
some fear it would trigger lay-
offs. Oregon restaurant owners
say the escalating minimum
wage is one reason menu
prices were rising steadily even
before the pandemic and the
subsequent high inflation.
Oregon’s steady increases
over the past several years
didn’t translate into higher
unemployment, though. The
state’s jobless rate has — ex-
cept for the 15 months after
COVID-19 hit — been under
5% since 2015 and is near a
historic low now.
And economists say the
state’s higher minimum wage
is one reason Portland has
among the nation’s smallest
gaps between high- and low-
wage workers and why fewer
Oregonians are moonlighting
with second or third jobs.