Oregon Public Broadcasting

A hospital in Klamath Falls is the latest Oregon employer to lay off workers.

Sky Lakes  Medical Center says it has already laid off more than 12 workers and is working to trim the equivalent of 60 full-time employees between Monday and February. Ethan Lindsey reports.

Some of the cutbacks will come reducing hours or holding off on hiring new workers,  But the hospital says a number of employees will lose their jobs.

According to the state, employment in ‘educational and health services’ is actually up almost five-percent in the past year.

But Tom Hottman, spokesman for the hospital, says the economy does hurt the health care sector.

Tom Hottman: “Even if the economy is down, people are going to get sick. However, how they choose to deal with that sickness can change. If for instance, they know they can not afford their prescriptions or their co-pay, they may choose to not go to the hospital or the doctor.”

The new layoffs at Sky Lakes Medical Center are not included in Oregon’s latest unemployment numbers. The November unemployment rate jumped almost a full point, to 8.1 percent.