Oregon Employment Fell by 6,400 jobs in Feburary

Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 8.8 percent in February, but seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment fell by 6,400 jobs over the month.

February's job losses marked the largest monthly decline since April 2009. The largest declines occurred in construction (-2,000 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (-2,000); and professional and business services (-1,500). Gains were only reported in three sectors: leisure and hospitality (+300); government (+200); and information (+100).

The payroll employment numbers for February are preliminary estimates produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As is true each month, preliminary estimates are revised at the time of the next news release, as additional information becomes available from late-reporting businesses in the survey.

For more (un)employment news, check out the full press release.