Oregon Public Broadcasting

Crook County again leads the state in unemployment with a seasonally adjusted rate of 16.6 percent. 

The April rate was up more than a percentage point from the month before.  OPB's David Nogueras has more.

Employment in Crook County is highly concentrated in wood product manufacturing. That means doors, windows, siding and 2 by 4s, all the things you need to build a home.

Carolyn Eagan is the Regional Economist for Worksource Oregon. Eagan says in the last three years one in four employees in Crook county has been put out of a job.

Carolyn Eagan: "And then as you lay off your manufacturing workers you begin to see the ripple effects though the community. So fewer people going out to dinner fewer people buying work boots and such. So there definitely has been that effect thought the whole county."

One bright light in Crook County's future is the new building being constructed for the social networking giant, Facebook. That facility is scheduled to open early next year and will create 35 to 40 new jobs.