Jobs top pre-pandemic levels
By Terry Murry on Thursday, April 27th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA & MORROW – As far as jobs go, the damage done to employment by the pandemic is over for Umatilla and Morrow counties. Regional Economist Dallas Fridley with the Oregon Employment Department said the number of available jobs in February 2020 has finally been surpassed.
“Umatilla County is now above its pre-pandemic employment level,” Fridley said. “It’s up by 190 jobs over that level so we can put the pandemic behind us, at least in terms of job count.”
The same is true for Morrow County.
“Morrow County is well above its pre-pandemic employment level,” he said. “It’s gained 650 jobs seasonally adjusted for a gain of 12.8 percent.”
Unemployment in March also fell by three-tenths of a percent in both counties. It’s 5.0 percent in Umatilla County, which is 23rd in the state. Morrow County ranks ninth among Oregon counties with a jobless rate of four percent.
