Oregon's (Un)Employment Rankings in December

Each month the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases a summary of state and regional employment and unemployment.** The latest release issued today reports that 37 states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases in December; Oregon was among this group. Three states posted rate increases, and 10 states had no rate change.

In December, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 25 states -- including Oregon -- and the District of Columbia. Payrolls declined in 24 states, and was unchanged in one state. The largest over-the-month increase in employment occurred in Texas (+20,200), followed by Indiana (+15,100), and California (+10,700). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in New York (-14,000), followed by Missouri(-11,800), and our neighbor to the north (Washington, -11,600).

The Employment Department's Research Division tracks Oregon's rankings in unemployment and employment growth compared to the U.S. and all states. In December, Oregon had the 15th highest unemployment rate among all states and the District of Columbia. Between December 2010 and December 2011, Oregon's nonfarm employment grew by 1.1 percent (not seasonally adjusted), which was 22nd highest among all states. National employment growth was 1.3 percent over the year.


You can find more details in the full BLS news release.
**Unless otherwise noted, all numbers in this post are seasonally adjusted.