Hiring up in Central Oregon

Good news on the employment front surfaced Monday from the Oregon Employment Department: a continuing strong surge in hiring across several sectors in Central Oregon.

“The fastest growing industry (in Deschutes County) is construction — 330 jobs over the past year,” said the department’s Regional Economist Damon Runberg. “That industry locally was just devastated, but we’re really starting to see some strong hiring there.”

As a result, skilled workers, particularly finish carpenters and framers, are in high demand, said Tim Knopp, executive vice president of Central Oregon Builders Association. And wages and material costs are rising along with demand for workers and new housing. Construction companies report 15 to 25 percent higher costs, Knopp said Monday.

However, office jobs — the professional and business services sector — has led the Deschutes recovery in sheer numbers hired over the past year with 550. A larger sector, it realized an 8.2 percent increase in hiring against 9.2 percent for construction.

Also, a second look at spring and summer employment figures for Deschutes County showed a stronger picture — 860 more jobs overall — than previously reported by the department, Runberg said.

“All signs in the economy right now point to things being better than previously thought,” he said.

The Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area, which covers all of Deschutes County, also relinquished its spot last month as the Oregon metropolitan area with the highest unemployment rate, out of the six metro areas in the state. Deschutes County’s seasonally adjusted rate in October fell to 9.4 percent. That’s a shade behind the Medford MSA, which moved to the top that month with a 9.5 percent adjusted rate.

In Crook County, hiring posted the second strongest year-over-year growth rate of all Oregon counties, 5.8 percent. Overall, the Crook County unemployment rate stood at 12.1 percent in October, still high, but down from 13.8 percent in October 2012, according to the Employment Department. Construction, along with growth in the transportation, trucking companies, for example, accounted for some of that improvement, Runberg said.

Jefferson County reached its lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate since July 2008, 10.4 percent. Manufacturing, retail and tourism-related all showed gains in the past year. Wholesale trade lost 190 jobs, however.

— Reporter: 541-617-7815, jditzler@bendbulletin.com