Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon’s unemployment rate jumped last month to 10.8 percent. It’s the highest the state has seen since 1984.
Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

The jobless rate is rising at speeds not seen since the early 1980’s – that’s when another real estate bubble popped and lumber mills fell silent because nobody wanted wood to build.

Art Ayre

Today’s problems bear some of those same hallmarks, but Oregon’s economy is more diverse now.

Still, since last October when turmoil hit the nation’s financial markets, Oregon’s unemployment has climbed from about 7 percent to 10.8 percent.

State economist, Art Ayre says the job losses are spread across industrial sectors.

Art Ayre: “The unemployment rate is now double what it was one year ago…also the number of people estimated as being unemployed is up more than double over the last year.”

That means that since this time last year, the state has lost about 82,000 jobs. Ayre says that rate of loss is steep.

Art Ayre: “In February, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted non-farm payroll employment declined by 21,700 jobs. That is the largest one-month change on our records.”

While it's the largest number of jobs lost in a month, he says, it’s not the largest percentage change.

For that you have to go back to 1980 when employment dropped 1.5 percent in one month. Last month’s drop was 1.3 percent. But the numbers don't  all spell doom and gloom.

Three industrial sectors witnessed job gains over last year. Government, education and health services added a combined 13,000 jobs.

Also, Tom Fuller of the Oregon Department of Employment, says wait times for people calling to register as unemployed have dropped.

Check out our map of recent layoffs around the Northwest

Tom Fuller: “I was speaking with someone from that program this morning. And they said that there are times now when you can call one of our call centers and get right to a claims agent, you’re not on hold at all. We’re also seeing the number of initial claims begin to moderate. And although it’s not necessarily a predictor of what’s going to take place, the folks that are in that program are really beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of the numbers of people applying for benefits.”

At one job center in Tualatin, every cube is filled with people looking for work. There maybe some "light at the end of the tunnel" but no one here seems that hopeful. Jason Singer is an architect.

Jason Singer: “There’s not that much building going on. Architecture firms are not hiring, so yeah, I’m just trying to get in contact with people to see if they are hiring but it’s pretty rare, I haven’t found anybody that’s hiring.”

Robert Krause: “I’m 51 and I think this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.

Voices Of The Unemployed - Audio Slideshow

Robert Krause, a janitor, says these are some of the hardest times he's seen.

Robert Krause "I don’t ever remember it being this hard to get a job. Usually I can get a job within a week. It took me almost six months, and only a part-time job at that.”

Erika Samsung a computer trainer, says its not surprising that she lost her job, since it was tied to the housing market.

Erika Samsung: “The company I work for is a title company so with the downturn in the market, everybody got laid off.

Kristian: “What was that like, how did you feel about that.”

Erika Samsung: “It’s depressing. I’m looking for anything.”

The situation is both worse and better depending on where you live in Oregon. In Harney and Grant Counties almost 20 percent of the labor force is out of work. Multnomah County is about 9 percent, and in Benton County, the number is about 7 percent.

Unemployment figures for March are due out April 13th.