Local News: Portland Small Business lending Grows

Two recent articles from The Oregonian talk about employment ups and downs in Portland and Crook County.

The "Up":
The first article notes that in the fiscal year of 2011, loans backed by Portland's Small Business Administration grew by 46 percent to $308 million. "Officials said the pace eclipsed pre-recession lending and topped the $300 million mark for the first time in at least seven years."

The "Down":
The Employment Department has noted in many previous local area unemployment data releases that Crook County has been at, or close to, the highest unemployment rate in Oregon's counties over the past couple of years. A recent article from The Oregonian puts a face to the plight that many in Crook County feel.
In August, the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 9.6 percent and in Crook County, 15.6 percent--a six percentage point difference. The article notes how the recession was made worse by the corporate headquarter move of Les Schwab Tire Center and its exposure to the housing market bust in the same period. Employment Department Regional Economist, Carolyn Eagan is quoted in the article on the "jobs mismatch" that the county (and many other places) have.

Find more information on unemployment rates by county, visit the unemployment rates page or the local area unemployment statistics page at QualityInfo.