Oregon Public Broadcasting

Courtesy: Oregon Department of Employment

Oregon's unemployment rate was essentially unchanged in January -- at 10.7 percent.

As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, it's been hanging in the high 10 percent range for four months now -- showing that economists were correct to predict a slow rebound.

While 10.7 percent is high, most of the major industries preformed in line with typical seasonal patterns in January.

Compared to last year -- when there was talk of a second great depression -- a return to a predictable pattern is welcome news.

State economist David Cooke says while the unemployment rate remained unchanged, there was a tiny increase of 1,100 jobs.

David Cooke: "This was the first seasonally adjusted monthly job gain since February 2008."

Courtesy: Oregon Department of Employment

Asked about what job prospects might be like for the rest of the year, Cooke turned to the recently released state revenue forecast.

David Cooke: "That is calling for essentially flat payroll employment in the first quarter, followed by modest job gains over the next two quarters. They have the seasonally adjusted annual rate of employment growth at 1.9 percent in the second quarter and 0.5 percent in the third quarter of this year."

Meanwhile, Oregon's unemployment fund, which pays jobless benefits, remains healthy -- despite paying out about $65 million dollars a week.

The state Legislature also passed a bill to extend benefits for several weeks starting March 12th.

Various political maneuvers in Congress are holding up federal money for some unemployed people. But Oregon Employment Department spokesman, Tom Fuller, says it's not affecting Oregonians -- yet. Tom Fuller: "In Oregon right now, no one is not getting a check because of any lack of Congressional action that's taking place right now. We do know that in a few weeks, if there isn't any action, there will be a number of individuals that will no longer be able to receive benefits because they're not able to go into one of these federal extensions."But about 12,000 Oregonians are expected to exhaust all their various unemployment benefits within the next couple of months. Fuller says the state is making sure that they get any other help they’re eligible for.

Tom Fuller: "We're actively contacting each one of those folks and connecting them with community resources in their areas. Because we realize that once there aren't any more unemployment programs, they're going to need to take advantage of other state and federal assistance programs such as food stamps, housing assistance and so forth."

At the WorkSource Job Center in Tualatin, unemployed people arrive for training.  They work on writing a resume, or on how to come across well in an interview. 

Sun Gaddis is the receptionist, and she says there are signs of improvement.

Sun Gaddis:  “It seems like more people are getting jobs, regardless of what's out there.  ."

Behind Gaddis are several rows of computers, where people can look for work. Stephen Garlow has been unemployed for nine months. He used to polish Monaco Coaches in Eugene before the company filed for bankruptcy.

Stephen Garlow: "It's a grueling battle. It's like you give up hope and they don't care. And you go home and there's no phone calls and you've got all this stuff going through you're head and you're thinking maybe things will change, but they don't." There is one piece of good news.

State officials reviewed jobless figures for the whole of last year, and released their findings today. They found that unemployment peaked a little lower than first reported -- at about 11-and-a-half percent instead of over 12.

Kristian Foden-Vencil, OPB news.