PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – Oregon added 20,100 more jobs in March, according to a new report by the Oregon Employment Department.
Oregon’s unemployment rate is now at 6 percent, down from 6.1 percent in February, according to the OED.
Two-thirds of the jobs gained in March were in leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing, professional and business services, transportation, warehousing and utilities added more than 1,000 jobs. Construction and private educational services each added 700 jobs.
Over the past year, leisure and hospitality, including restaurants, bars, coffee shops, hotels, golf courses, and fitness centers, have contributed to a large share of the swings in Oregon’s total employment. In Feb. 2020, it employed a peak of 216,300 jobs, and then in two months, it cut over half its jobs. Since then, the industry recovered half of the drop to 165,200 jobs by November. The industry was again affected by new COVID-19 restrictions that retrenched 136,800 jobs in December.
The OED said the industry has added 25,900 jobs over the past three months, close to its Nov. 2020 high point, but it’s still below the February 2020 peak.
For more information about the March unemployment report, click here.
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