Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Director of the Oregon Economic Forum says he believes the state may be reaching the end of the recession.

Tim Duy says economists working for the University of Oregon base their monthly analysis on many economic indicators.

Tim Duy:  "Initial unemployment claims have continued to decrease over the last several months. We've also seen a weight distance tax bounce back, in August, which would be a measure of trucking activity. We've seen consumer confidence numbers move ahead."

Also, Duy says, new orders for capital goods have improved, and he's seen some stabilization in the state's residential building industry.

He says although unemployment is still high, indicators suggest Oregon's economic freefall is slowing, and may actually stop any day now.

The trend, he says, mirrors the national economic indicators. 

They reflected very modest growth in the third quarter of the year.

Duy adds it'll be a while before companies add jobs in earnest.