Economic Growth, and Job Seeker Challenges

Newly released figures from the Oregon Economic Forum for October 2013 show generally good news across the state. With the exception of the Rogue Valley, most metropolitan areas in Oregon -- Portland, Eugene, Bend, and Salem -- are showing near normal growth. By "normal" the Oregon Regional Economic Indexes mean that these regions' current economic growth roughly matches the long-term average growth in their respective areas.

Despite the generally positive economic news in Oregon, there are still plenty of anecdotes to show that U.S. job seekers face a tough labor market. Here's one example: Southwest Airlines announced 750 flight attendant positions for hire. Within two hours and five minutes, the airline received 10,000 resumes via e-mail (that's roughly 13 applications per opening) and then closed the search for job candidates. 

For more on Oregon's economic indexes, see the full summary from the Oregon Economic Forum, and for additional details about Southwest's jobs, check out NPR's Marketplace report.