FOR

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 3, 2015

NEWS
PRESS CONFERENCE PRESENTER:
Nick Beleiciks, State Employment Economist

CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Cooke, Economist (503) 9471272

Oregons Unemployment Rate Drops to 6.3 PercentLowest Since July 2008

Oregons unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent in January, down from 6.7 percent in December.
Januarys rate was the lowest since July 2008. This continues the trend of decline weve seen since May
2009, when Oregons rate peaked at 11.9 percent. The number of unemployed also declined to 124,000,
from 138,000 a year ago.

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 7,600the fourth time in five months weve added more than
6,000 jobs. In addition to Oregons continued economic growth, January weather was unusually mild,
which allowed many outdoor industries, particularly construction, to keep more workers on the job
than they might usually at this time of year.

Employment set another record level in January and rose 55,600 above a year ago, a 3.3 percent
increase. Oregons private sector grew by 49,100 jobs or 3.5 percent. Meanwhile, government expanded
by 6,500 jobs or 2.2 percent.

The fastest growing of the major privatesector industries each grew by at least 4 percent over the year:
retail trade (+8,000 jobs or 4.1%); manufacturing (+7,000 jobs or 4.0%); transportation, warehousing,
and utilities (2,600 jobs or 4.6%); and professional and business services (+13,100 jobs or 6.1%).
Several component industries within professional and business services expanded at very rapid rates
of near 6 percent or more, including computer systems design, management of companies,
administrative services, and employment services.

Putting Oregons employment growth into perspective, the rate of growth has steadily accelerated over
the past few years: jobs grew 1.4 percent in 2012, 2.4 percent in 2013, and 3.3 percent in the past 12
months. This most recent overtheyear growth of 3.3 percent is the fastest pace since June 2006. Other
than brief periods during 2004 through 2006, the last time Oregon jobs grew faster was the fouryear
period ending in July 1997 when Oregon averaged 4.0 percent growth.

Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the January county and metropolitan area
unemployment rates on Tuesday, March 10th and the statewide unemployment rate and employment
survey data for February on Tuesday, March 17th.

SUPPORT BUSINESS PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT

Employment Department News Release

Page 2 of 3

March 3, 2015

Oregon Unemployment Rate,

Seasonally Adjusted

Percent

Oregon Nonfarm Payroll Employment,

Seasonally Adjusted

Millions

1.8

12.0
11.0
10.0

1.7

9.0
8.0
7.0

1.6

6.0
5.0
4.0

1.5
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Seasonal Expectations and
OvertheMonth Employment Changes

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

December 2014 to January 2015

350,000

INDUSTRY

Normal
Seasonal
Movement

Unadjusted
Change

Seasonally
Adjusted
Change

OregonSeasonallyAdjusted
Employment
Trade, transportation, and utilities

300,000
Total nonfarm payroll
employment

-34,200

-26,600

7,600

Total private

-30,400

-22,800

7,600

-300

-300

Construction

-3,000

-1,600

1,400

Manufacturing

-2,900

-700

2,200

-700

-300

400

-9,900

-7,700

2,200

-1,600

-1,200

400

-600

-600

-900

-900

Mining and logging

Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation,
warehousing and utilities
Information
Financial activities
Professional and
business services
Private educational
services
Health care and social
assistance
Leisure and hospitality
Other services

Government
250,000
Health care and social assistance
200,000
<--Professional and business
Manufacturing
Leisure and hospitality

150,000

Financial activities
100,000

-5,100

-1,900

3,200
Construction

-1,100

-3,000

-1,900

-1,200

-600

600

-3,200

-3,200

-500

-800

-300

-3,800

-3,800

Other services
50,000
Information
Mining and logging
0
'10

Government

'11

'12

SUPPORT BUSINESS PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT

'13

'14

'15

Employment Department News Release

Page 3 of 3

March 3, 2015

Note: all numbers in the above narrative are seasonally adjusted.

The Oregon Employment Department and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) work cooperatively to
develop and publish monthly Oregon payroll employment and labor force data. The estimates of monthly job
gains and losses are based on a survey of businesses. The estimates of unemployment are based on a survey of
households and other sources. This press release incorporates, for the first time, the annual revisions to the
data for 2014 and prior years.

The pdf version of the news release, including tables and graphs, can be found at www.QualityInfo.org/press
release. To obtain the data in other formats such as in Excel, visit www.QualityInfo.org, then within the top
banner, select Economic Data, then choose LAUS or CES. To request the press release as a Word document,
contact the person shown at the top of this press release.

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 auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with
disabilities. Contact: (503) 9471794. For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population, call 711
Telecommunications Relay Services.

SUPPORT BUSINESS PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT

Workforce and Economic Research

2014 Benchmark
March 2, 2015

Oregon Current Labor Force and Industry Employment

January

December

January

Change From

Change From

2015

2014

2014

December 2014

January 2014

1,942,700

1,951,265

1,899,924

-8,565

42,776

128,106

124,532

149,299

3,574

-21,193

Labor Force Status

Civilian labor force
Unemployed
Unemployment rate

6.6

6.4

7.9

0.2

-1.3

Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted

6.3

6.7

7.2

-0.4

-0.9

1,814,594

1,826,733

1,750,626

-12,139

63,968

Employed

Other Labor Force Indicators

Labor force participation rate, seasonally adjusted

61.6

61.6

60.8

0.0

0.8

Labor underutilization rate U-6, seasonally adjusted

12.6

13.1

15.0

-0.5

-2.4

Nonfarm Payroll Employment

Total nonfarm payroll employment
Total private
Mining and logging
Logging
Construction
Construction of buildings
Residential building construction

1,728,100

1,754,700

1,669,100

-26,600

59,000

1,428,900

1,451,700

1,376,500

-22,800

52,400

7,100

7,400

7,400

-300

-300

5,800

6,000

6,000

-200

-200

76,600

78,200

74,100

-1,600

2,500

20,500

20,700

18,800

-200

1,700
1,300

11,700

11,900

10,400

-200

Nonresidential building construction

8,800

8,800

8,400

400

Heavy and civil engineering construction

7,800

8,600

7,900

-800

-100

48,300

48,900

47,400

-600

900

8,800

9,100

8,700

-300

100

Building equipment contractors

22,800

22,700

23,200

100

-400

Building finishing contractors

10,600

10,600

9,800

800

6,100

6,500

5,700

-400

400

180,200

180,900

174,100

-700

6,100

127,300

127,300

123,500

3,800

21,700

21,900

21,600

-200

100

Sawmills and wood preservation

6,300

6,400

6,300

-100

Plywood and engineered wood product mfg.

8,100

8,100

8,200

-100

Other wood product manufacturing

7,300

7,400

7,100

-100

200

8,400

8,400

8,400

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

15,300

15,500

15,100

-200

200

Machinery manufacturing

12,300

12,300

12,000

300

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

37,000

36,800

36,200

200

800

28,500

28,300

27,700

200

800

Specialty trade contractors

Building foundation and exterior contractors

Other specialty trade contractors

Manufacturing
Durable goods
Wood product manufacturing

Primary metal manufacturing

Semiconductor and electronic component mfg.

Electronic instrument manufacturing

5,200

5,200

5,200

Transportation equipment manufacturing

11,600

11,600

10,900

700

52,900

53,600

50,600

-700

2,300

25,900

26,600

25,200

-700

700

8,700

9,100

8,800

-400

-100

Nondurable goods
Food manufacturing
Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty
Paper manufacturing
Trade, transportation, and utilities
Wholesale trade
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

4,400

4,500

4,600

-100

-200

330,900

340,100

318,000

-9,200

12,900

72,900

73,200

71,400

-300

1,500

33,500

33,200

32,300

300

1,200

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

26,200

26,400

25,700

-200

500

Electronic markets and agents and brokers

13,200

13,600

13,400

-400

-200
8,500

Retail trade

199,300

207,000

190,800

-7,700

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

23,300

24,000

22,800

-700

500

Building material and garden supply stores

13,900

14,100

13,600

-200

300

Food and beverage stores

40,900

41,400

39,800

-500

1,100

Clothing and clothing accessories stores

16,500

18,200

16,200

-1,700

300

Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores

10,100

11,000

9,900

-900

200

General merchandise stores

42,200

45,300

40,700

-3,100

1,500

Miscellaneous store retailers

10,300

11,000

9,900

-700

400

7,000

8,600

6,400

-1,600

600

Nonstore retailers

or2015est.xlsm "CLFIE"

Page 1 of 2

David Cooke (503) 947-1272

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities

Utilities
Transportation and warehousing
Truck transportation
Couriers and messengers
Warehousing and storage

January

December

January

Change From

Change From

2015

2014

2014

December 2014

January 2014

58,700

59,900

55,800

-1,200

4,400

4,500

4,500

-100

2,900
-100

54,300

55,400

51,300

-1,100

3,000

18,200

17,900

17,900

300

300

7,500

8,900

7,300

-1,400

200

7,000

7,000

6,700

300

32,400

33,000

31,700

-600

700

14,100

14,100

13,800

300

4,000

4,000

4,200

-200

10,100

10,100

9,600

500

6,100

6,100

6,700

-600

91,800

92,700

90,300

-900

1,500

55,400

56,300

55,800

-900

-400

Credit intermediation and related activities

26,200

26,600

27,100

-400

-900

Insurance carriers and related activities

23,600

24,300

23,400

-700

200

36,400

36,400

34,500

1,900

Information
Publishing industries, except internet
Newspaper, book, and directory publishers
Software publishers
Telecommunications
Financial activities
Finance and insurance

Real estate and rental and leasing

Real estate
Professional and business services
Professional and technical services

31,800

31,800

29,700

2,100

221,600

223,500

208,700

-1,900

12,900

86,500

85,400

82,000

1,100

4,500

Legal services

12,200

12,200

11,700

500

Architectural and engineering services

13,100

13,300

12,800

-200

300

Computer systems design and related services

14,700

14,400

13,900

300

800

Management of companies and enterprises

41,600

41,400

39,100

200

2,500

Administrative and waste services

93,500

96,700

87,600

-3,200

5,900

Administrative and support services

Employment services

87,900

91,600

82,700

-3,700

5,200

36,400

39,500

33,800

-3,100

2,600

Business support services

15,600

16,300

15,600

-700

Services to buildings and dwellings

20,900

21,100

18,400

-200

2,500

253,200

256,800

243,500

-3,600

9,700

34,400

37,400

33,600

-3,000

800

218,800

219,400

209,900

-600

8,900

Ambulatory health care services

79,800

80,300

77,300

-500

2,500

Hospitals

54,700

54,700

53,300

1,400

Nursing and residential care facilities

48,000

48,700

45,700

-700

2,300
2,700

Educational and health services

Educational services
Health care and social assistance

Social assistance

36,300

35,700

33,600

600

Leisure and hospitality

175,900

179,100

171,300

-3,200

4,600

22,900

22,800

21,400

100

1,500

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

Amusement, gambling, and recreation
Accommodation and food services
Accommodation
Food services and drinking places

17,300

17,000

15,900

300

1,400

153,000

156,300

149,900

-3,300

3,100

19,900

20,400

20,000

-500

-100

133,100

135,900

129,900

-2,800

3,200
2,700

Full-service restaurants

64,000

65,700

61,300

-1,700

Limited-service eating places

55,800

57,000

55,700

-1,200

100

59,200

60,000

57,400

-800

1,800

Other services
Repair and maintenance

16,400

16,700

15,700

-300

700

Personal and laundry services

13,800

13,900

13,300

-100

500

Membership associations and organizations

29,000

29,400

28,400

-400

600

16,800

17,000

16,600

-200

200

299,200

303,000

292,600

-3,800

6,600

Federal government

26,400

27,100

26,500

-700

-100

State government

85,500

86,800

82,700

-1,300

2,800

Religious organizations
Government

State education

33,400

34,800

32,900

-1,400

500

Local government

187,300

189,100

183,400

-1,800

3,900

Indian tribal
Local education
Labor-management disputes

8,200

8,300

8,100

-100

100

99,100

100,100

97,900

-1,000

1,200

The most recent month is preliminary, the prior month is revised. Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Labor Force Status: Civilian labor force includes employed and unemployed individuals 16 years and older by place of residence. Employed includes nonfarm payroll
employment, self-employed, unpaid family workers, domestics, agriculture and labor disputants. Unemployment rate is calculated by dividing unemployed by civilian labor force.
U-6 is the total unemployed plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force
plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force.
Nonfarm Payroll Employment: Data are by place of work and cover full- and part-time employees who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th of the
month. The data exclude the self-employed, volunteers, unpaid family workers, and domestics. These survey-based estimates are revised quarterly, based on more complete
information from employer tax records.
or2015est.xlsm "CLFIE"

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David Cooke (503) 947-1272