Area unemployment rate hits a new low
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
THE DALLES – Unemployment in both Umatilla and Morrow counties is below what it was right before the pandemic. Umatilla County’s jobless rate is 4.3 percent, while Morrow County’s is 3.9 percent.
“It is significant to the extent that there are employers with job openings, and so there are not a heck of a lot of people available to fill all those jobs based on the low unemployment rate,” Employment Department Regional Economist Dallas Fridley said.
Fridley added that there is an encouraging sign in relation to job growth, as well.
“Employment is at or near pre-pandemic levels as well, so we’re getting near where we almost have the same number of jobs as well,” Fridley said.
This does not necessarily mean the pandemic is over.
“At some point we’re going to have to say the pandemic is behind us,” he said. “We’ve passed the employment rate we had prior to the pandemic and our unemployment rate is below the pre-pandemic as well, but on the other hand we still have a lot of these issues that are going to remain. Time is the only remedy for a lot of these issues at least for the short term.”
Area unemployment rate hits a new low
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, January 26th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
THE DALLES – Unemployment in both Umatilla and Morrow counties is below what it was right before the pandemic. Umatilla County’s jobless rate is 4.3 percent, while Morrow County’s is 3.9 percent.
“It is significant to the extent that there are employers with job openings, and so there are not a heck of a lot of people available to fill all those jobs based on the low unemployment rate,” Employment Department Regional Economist Dallas Fridley said.
Fridley added that there is an encouraging sign in relation to job growth, as well.
“Employment is at or near pre-pandemic levels as well, so we’re getting near where we almost have the same number of jobs as well,” Fridley said.
This does not necessarily mean the pandemic is over.
“At some point we’re going to have to say the pandemic is behind us,” he said. “We’ve passed the employment rate we had prior to the pandemic and our unemployment rate is below the pre-pandemic as well, but on the other hand we still have a lot of these issues that are going to remain. Time is the only remedy for a lot of these issues at least for the short term.”
