Bulletin staff report

Central Oregon unemployment rates increased between September and October, which is a normal trend, according to the Oregon Employment Department’s monthly report.

Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties continued to have lower rates in October compared with the previous year. Crook County’s unemployment rate increased by a third of a percentage point in October to 7.6 percent. The rate has been between 7.3 and 8.2 percent since April. Even with the slight increase in October, Crook County’s unemployment rate was lower than last October and was the lowest the rate has been for the month in four years.

Crook County lost 70 jobs in October, which is a normal decline for the month, according to the department. Relatively small job losses occurred in several industries. The federal government and the leisure and hospitality industry each dropped 30 workers.

Educational and health services added 20 jobs and retail trade, information and local government each gained 10 jobs. The county continued to record positive year-over-year employment growth, now for seven consecutive months. Employment was 0.7 percent above last year. Wood product manufacturing increased 12.2 percent, retail trade increased 6.5 percent, and federal government went up 7.7 percent.

Deschutes County’s unemployment rate showed little change in October, increasing by one-tenth of a point to 5.7 percent. That is 0.7 percentage points below the October 2003 rate and the lowest for October in four years. The rate has remained between 5.3 and 6.0 percent since April.

The monthly rates throughout this year have been lower than last year. Deschutes County lost 260 jobs in October. Most of the job losses were in leisure and hospitality. Job gains were strong for the second consecutive month in local education, which gained 490 jobs.

The county’s year-over-year employment growth remained strong, up 3.1 percent from last October. The private sector recorded 89 percent of these new jobs, with strong gains in professional and business services, retail trade and manufacturing.

Jefferson County’s unemployment rate went up one-tenth of a point to 5.5 percent. October’s rate is .3 percentage points lower than last year and is at its lowest level for the month in four years.

The county’s non-farm payrolls lost 60 jobs in October, a month that typically experiences a decline of about 160 jobs. The better performance in October is in part because of 30 job gains in local government, which typically loses about 60 jobs in October because of losses in Indian tribal employment. The county’s year-over-year employment growth remained strong in October, recording 3.2 percent higher employment than last October.

Total non-farm employment was up 190 jobs from last year. Strength continued in wood product manufacturing and professional and business services.