SALEM, Ore. — State economists say Oregon’s unemployment rate remains “essentially unchanged” at 8 percent.
The state Employment Department said Tuesday the rate for July was higher than in June, after a revision of the statistics, by two-tenths of a percentage point.
The department said hiring continued to be strong in leisure and hospitality businesses, while construction companies and governments shed jobs.
Overall, the department said, the state has added an average of 2,900 jobs a month in the past 10 months. The jobs figure rose 900 in July.
It also said the state’s labor force continues to shrink, reflecting a variety of causes, including the retirements of baby boomers and lagging numbers of young people looking for work.
