Coast Jobless Rates, May 20

An unemployment trend that has been continuing for more than a year for a majority of the five complete counties along the Oregon Coast continued during the month of April 2014. According to the latest figures from the Oregon Employment Dept., only Curry Co. saw an increase over the previous year’s jobless rates. Coos Co. had the same rate in April 2014 as in May 2014, 9.1%; however, that is a full percentage point less than the 10.1% in April of 2013. Curry Co. went from 10.6% in May to 10.7% in April. That was also up a tenth of a percent from the 10.6% in April 2013. Lincoln Co. on the Central Coast experienced a tenth of a percent increase from May (7.5%) to April (7.6%), but that was also less than the 8.5% recorded in April of last year. Tillamook Co. had a rate of 6.5% in April, up from the 6.4% in May, but less than the 7.4% from April 2013. Clatsop Co. continues to enjoy the best rate on the coast at 6.2% unemployed in April, the same as the 6.2% in May, but less than the 7.1% from a year ago.