Seasonal change affects local jobs

Unemployment in Central Oregon ticked up slightly due to seasonal job losses in construction and tourism in October, according to new data released by the Oregon Employment Department.

All three counties, however, saw unemployment rates remain unchanged over the past year, said Damon Runberg, Oregon Employment Department regional economist.

In all, there were 1,250 jobs lost in Deschutes County in October, mostly in the hospitality industry, and gains came from the education sector, leading to a net loss of 390 jobs, he said. Of note, Runberg said, is the pace of job growth. Gone are the days of gangbuster job growth, he said.

“Each month in the last three months, the unemployment has ticked up, yet we’re still at historically low levels,” Runberg said. “We’re not sure if it’s voluntary separations or layoffs.”

Crook County’s unemployment rate in October was 5.7 percent, up from 5.5 percent in September.

In Deschutes County, the unemployment rate was 4 percent, a slight increase from 3.8 percent in September.

In Jefferson County, the unemployment rate rose to 5.2 percent from 4.9 percent in September.