NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2015

PRESS CONFERENCE PRESENTER:

Nick Beleiciks, State Employment Economist

CONTACT INFORMATION:
David Cooke, Economist (503) 9471272

Oregons Unemployment Rate Drops to SixYear Low

Oregons unemployment rate dropped from 7.0 percent in November to 6.7 percent in December, the
lowest level since August 2008, right before the worst days of the financial crisis which led to the Great
Recession.

Jobs grew rapidly again in December. During the last three months of 2014, employment grew by a
total of 24,300, the largest threemonth gain since comparable records began in 1990. Nonfarm payroll
employment rose by 8,200 in December. This followed a revised gain of 8,700 in November, with
growth not as strong as the originally estimated gain of 11,200. These monthly job totals are produced
each month by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gains in December were broadbased, as seven of the major industries each added at least 800 jobs. It is
rare for so many industries to gain that many jobs in one month. Retail trade (+2,000 jobs), government
(+2,000), health care and social assistance (+1,600), construction (+900), transportation, warehousing
and utilities (+800), leisure and hospitality (+800), and other services (+800) were the industries
adding the most jobs.

A large drop in the number of unemployed Oregonians coincided with Decembers employment growth.
The labor force barely grew in December, unlike the rapid labor force growth seen in recent months.
Fewer unemployed and an unchanged labor force contributed to the drop in the unemployment rate.

Note: all numbers above are seasonally adjusted.

Next Press Releases

The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the December county and metropolitan area
unemployment rates on Monday, January 26th and the statewide unemployment rate and employment
survey data for January on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Oregon Employment Department is an equal opportunity employer/program.

Oregon Employment Department es un programa/empleador que respeta la igualdad de oportunidades.

SUPPORT BUSINESS PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT

Employment Department News Release

Page 2 of 3

January 21, 2015

Percent

Oregon nonfarm payroll employment,

seasonally adjusted

Millions

Oregon unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted

12.0

1.8

11.0
10.0
1.7

9.0
8.0
7.0

1.6

6.0
5.0
4.0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Seasonal Expectations and
OvertheMonth Employment Changes

1.5

November to December 2014

Normal
Seasonal
Movement

350,000

INDUSTRY

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Unadjusted
Change

OregonSeasonallyAdjusted
Employment

Seasonally
Adjusted
Change

Trade, transportation, and utilities

300,000
Total nonfarm payroll
employment

-7,200

1,000

8,200

Total private

-4,100

2,100

6,200

-400

-200

200

-2,400

-1,500

900

-700

-400

300

500

-500

Mining and logging

Construction
Manufacturing
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

400

2,400

2,000

1,000

1,800

800

100

100

200

600

400

Government

250,000

Health care and social assistance

200,000
<--Professional and business
Manufacturing
Leisure and hospitality

150,000

Financial activities
100,000

-100

-900

-800
Construction

-700

-1,100

-400

1,600

1,600

-1,300

-500

800

-600

200

800

-3,100

-1,100

2,000

Other services
50,000
Information
Mining and logging
0
'09

Government

'10

'11

SUPPORT BUSINESS PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT

'12

'13

'14

Employment Department News Release

Page 3 of 3

January 21, 2015

The Oregon Employment Department is responsible for releasing Oregons monthly payroll employment and
labor force data. The data are prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS). The BLS estimates of monthly job gains and losses are based on a survey of businesses. The
BLS estimates of unemployment are based on a survey of households and other inputs.

The Oregon Employment Department publishes payroll employment estimates that are revised quarterly by
using employment counts from employer unemployment insurance tax records. All department publications
use this official Oregon series data unless noted otherwise. This months release incorporates the April, May and
June 2014 tax records data. The department continues to make the original nonfarm payroll employment series
available; these data are produced by the BLS and are revised annually.

For the complete pdf version of the news release, including tables and graphs, visit
www.QualityInfo.org/pressrelease, then within the Press Release Documents list, select
Oregon Monthly Employment Situation. 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. If you want
the press release as a Word document, please phone the contact 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

CES Updated With 2Q2014 QCEW
January 20, 2015

Oregon Current Labor Force and Industry Employment

December
2014

November
2014

December
2013

Change From
Change From
November 2014 December 2013

Labor Force Status

Civilian labor force
Unemployed
Unemployment rate
Unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted
Employed

1,944,549
121,785
6.3
6.7
1,822,764

1,966,958
131,062
6.7
7.0
1,835,896

1,912,308
131,927
6.9
7.1
1,780,381

-22,409
-9,277
-0.4
-0.3
-13,132

32,241
-10,142
-0.6
-0.4
42,383

61.8
13.7

61.9
14.0

61.1
16.0

-0.1
-0.3

0.7
-2.3

1,750,800
1,446,700
7,600
6,300
78,700
21,100
12,100
9,000
8,700
48,900
9,500
22,600
10,300
6,500
181,300
128,000
22,100
6,400
8,200
7,500
8,600
15,600
12,200
36,800
28,400
5,100
11,500
53,300
26,900
9,300
4,500
338,700
72,800
33,200
26,800
12,800
205,800
24,500
14,600
40,600
18,300
10,600
45,100
10,900
8,900

1,749,800
1,444,600
7,800
6,400
80,200
21,000
12,100
8,900
9,000
50,200
9,600
23,000
10,800
6,800
181,700
127,800
22,200
6,400
8,300
7,500
8,500
15,600
12,200
36,600
28,300
5,100
11,500
53,900
27,200
9,800
4,500
334,500
72,800
33,400
27,000
12,400
203,400
24,100
14,800
40,700
17,700
10,500
44,100
10,800
8,400

1,703,700
1,407,900
7,600
6,200
76,100
19,300
10,900
8,400
8,300
48,500
9,100
23,500
10,100
5,800
175,400
124,200
21,600
6,300
8,200
7,100
8,200
15,200
12,000
36,700
28,000
5,200
10,900
51,200
25,600
9,200
4,600
330,800
72,300
32,600
26,000
13,700
201,400
22,900
14,000
40,400
18,000
10,800
44,100
10,700
8,100

1,000
2,100
-200
-100
-1,500
100
0
100
-300
-1,300
-100
-400
-500
-300
-400
200
-100
0
-100
0
100
0
0
200
100
0
0
-600
-300
-500
0
4,200
0
-200
-200
400
2,400
400
-200
-100
600
100
1,000
100
500

47,100
38,800
0
100
2,600
1,800
1,200
600
400
400
400
-900
200
700
5,900
3,800
500
100
0
400
400
400
200
100
400
-100
600
2,100
1,300
100
-100
7,900
500
600
800
-900
4,400
1,600
600
200
300
-200
1,000
200
800

Other Labor Force Indicators

Labor force participation rate, seasonally adjusted
Labor underutilization rate U-6, seasonally adjusted

Nonfarm Payroll Employment

Total nonfarm payroll employment
Total private
Mining and logging
Logging
Construction
Construction of buildings
Residential building construction
Nonresidential building construction
Heavy and civil engineering construction
Specialty trade contractors
Building foundation and exterior contractors
Building equipment contractors
Building finishing contractors
Other specialty trade contractors
Manufacturing
Durable goods
Wood product manufacturing
Sawmills and wood preservation
Plywood and engineered wood product mfg.
Other wood product manufacturing
Primary metal manufacturing
Fabricated metal product manufacturing
Machinery manufacturing
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
Semiconductor and electronic component mfg.
Electronic instrument manufacturing
Transportation equipment manufacturing
Nondurable goods
Food manufacturing
Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty
Paper manufacturing
Trade, transportation, and utilities
Wholesale trade
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods
Electronic markets and agents and brokers
Retail trade
Motor vehicle and parts dealers
Building material and garden supply stores
Food and beverage stores
Clothing and clothing accessories stores
Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores
General merchandise stores
Miscellaneous store retailers
Nonstore retailers

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David Cooke (503) 947-1272

December
2014
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
Utilities
Transportation and warehousing
Truck transportation
Couriers and messengers
Warehousing and storage
Information
Publishing industries, except internet
Newspaper, book, and directory publishers
Software publishers
Telecommunications
Financial activities
Finance and insurance
Credit intermediation and related activities
Insurance carriers and related activities
Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate
Professional and business services
Professional and technical services
Legal services
Architectural and engineering services
Computer systems design and related services
Management of companies and enterprises
Administrative and waste services
Administrative and support services
Employment services
Business support services
Services to buildings and dwellings
Educational and health services
Educational services
Health care and social assistance
Ambulatory health care services
Hospitals
Nursing and residential care facilities
Social assistance
Leisure and hospitality
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Amusement, gambling, and recreation
Accommodation and food services
Accommodation
Food services and drinking places
Full-service restaurants
Limited-service eating places
Other services
Repair and maintenance
Personal and laundry services
Membership associations and organizations
Religious organizations
Government
Federal government
State government
State education
Local government
Indian tribal
Local education
Labor-management disputes

60,100
4,500
55,600
18,400
9,000
7,100
31,100
13,800
4,000
9,800
6,200
91,700
56,000
26,300
24,300
35,700
31,300
223,600
85,600
12,100
13,400
14,500
41,700
96,300
90,700
38,400
16,400
21,000
254,900
36,100
218,800
79,300
55,700
48,000
35,800
178,700
22,300
15,500
156,400
20,200
136,200
65,200
58,400
60,400
17,300
13,400
29,700
18,100
304,100
27,200
87,900
34,800
189,000
8,000
100,300
0

November
2014
58,300
4,500
53,800
18,500
7,600
7,200
31,000
13,900
4,000
9,900
6,200
91,100
55,600
26,200
24,000
35,500
31,200
224,500
85,300
12,000
13,300
14,500
41,400
97,800
92,400
38,500
16,000
22,300
254,400
37,200
217,200
79,100
55,100
47,600
35,400
179,200
21,700
15,000
157,500
21,100
136,400
65,000
59,200
60,200
17,100
13,500
29,600
17,600
305,200
27,400
87,800
34,800
190,000
8,100
101,300
0

December
2013
57,100
4,500
52,600
18,100
8,200
6,800
32,400
13,800
4,300
9,500
6,800
91,200
56,300
27,300
23,600
34,900
30,100
214,100
82,500
12,100
13,100
13,800
39,100
92,500
87,300
36,300
16,700
19,200
247,900
36,800
211,100
77,300
54,000
45,900
33,900
174,500
21,800
16,200
152,700
20,600
132,100
62,200
56,300
57,900
15,800
13,400
28,700
16,600
295,800
27,200
84,100
34,400
184,500
8,300
98,800
0

Change From
Change From
November 2014 December 2013
1,800
0
1,800
-100
1,400
-100
100
-100
0
-100
0
600
400
100
300
200
100
-900
300
100
100
0
300
-1,500
-1,700
-100
400
-1,300
500
-1,100
1,600
200
600
400
400
-500
600
500
-1,100
-900
-200
200
-800
200
200
-100
100
500
-1,100
-200
100
0
-1,000
-100
-1,000
0

3,000
0
3,000
300
800
300
-1,300
0
-300
300
-600
500
-300
-1,000
700
800
1,200
9,500
3,100
0
300
700
2,600
3,800
3,400
2,100
-300
1,800
7,000
-700
7,700
2,000
1,700
2,100
1,900
4,200
500
-700
3,700
-400
4,100
3,000
2,100
2,500
1,500
0
1,000
1,500
8,300
0
3,800
400
4,500
-300
1,500
0

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.

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David Cooke (503) 947-1272