Portland & Oregon Jobless Rates Hit 5 Year Lows

Portland metro area's unemployment levels are now below the U.S. average and at the lowest point since before the recession began. The Portland unemployment rate is down one full percentage point from a year ago. 

About 1/3 of the Portland Metro's new jobs being created are in Construction.*

The City of Portland grew almost 10 percent in the past five years.  That is twice as fast as Washington and Clark County, and almost five times faster than Clackamas County.*

 

 

This dramatic reversal of historic population growth trends is being driven by large numbers of college graduates moving to the city.  A slight majority of all newcomers to the City of Portland in 2012 had a four-year degree or more.*

Oregon Employment Department reported that Oregon's Unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent in October, it's lowest level since October, 2008.

*Oregon Employment Department