Benton County’s unemployment rate was lower than the state’s in June, and more jobs that anticipated were added, too. However, viewing our job growth over the past year, the statewide numbers best our county numbers by a small margin. This is because, for all the jobs we’ve added, we lost some too.
Here’s what Oregon’s Employment Department press release said:
Benton County’s unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in June, unchanged from its revised rate
(3.2%) in May. Oregon’s statewide unemployment rate in June was 4.1 percent, essentially
unchanged from its revised May rate of 4.2 percent.
Benton County’s employment gains in June were larger than normal; total non-farm
employment increased 470 jobs, when an employment increase of 310 jobs was expected. As a
result, seasonally adjusted employment increased 160 jobs between May and June. Benton
County’s employment level was 5,180, or 13.3 percent, above its pre-recession employment
peak in November 2007.
Benton County has added 570 jobs over the past year, an increase of 1.3 percent. Benton
County’s employment growth was about the same as the nation, but was lower than the state.
The U.S. job growth was 1.5 percent and Oregon grew 2.4 percent.
Benton County’s private sector added 830 jobs over the past year, growing 2.9 percent. The
public sector lost 260 jobs, a decrease of 1.6 percent, with local government education
dropping 250 jobs.
The fastest-growing private-sector industries over the past year were mining, logging, and
construction (+210 jobs, or 14.4%); leisure and hospitality (+240 jobs, or 5.6%); and education
and health services (+350 jobs, or 4.9%).