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85 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, July 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 17, 2004 Unemployment numbers take shine off hiring spree By GREG STILES Mail Tribune Jackson County’s largest early-summer gain in hiring over the past five years was offset by a surge of new people looking for work. More than 1,000 jobs were added to the county’s economy in June, the biggest May-to-June increase since 1999, when 1,330 jobs were added. But as students left school and newcomers arrived in the Rogue Valley, the demand for work pushed the county’s unemployment rate to 6.4 percent, up from May’s 5.9 percent figure. The picture, however, is improved from the 8 percent unemployment rate reported in June 2003. Josephine County’s jobless rate rose to 7.1 percent in June from 6.7 in May, but was well below the June 2003 figure of 8.9 percent. During the past year, Jackson County has seen a gain of 2,120 jobs, a 3.3 percent increase with seasonal hiring in construction, retail trade, along with leisure and hospitality providing the bulk of recent opportunities. Advertisement In June, a total of 4,340 people were working in construction, up from 4,240 in May; that’s also up from June 2003 when 4,240 were employed in the industry. The cities of Medford and Ashland have combined to issue more than 4,000 building permits this year. Medford has doled out 3,187 permits and Ashland 991. Jackson County has issued another 1,386. Regional economist Guy Tauer said the sector should continue to show growth for some time. "With interest rates recently dipping to 6 percent again for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, this should encourage more building and refinance-induced construction and remodeling activity," Tauer said. Retail trade employment rose by 320 jobs in June and has expanded by 560 positions since June 2003. Professional and business services, which includes landscaping services, temporary help services, management companies, collection agencies, travel agencies and architectural services, among others, increased payrolls by 240 people in June. Health care and social assistance, a bedrock job provider that employs one in eight payroll workers in the local economy, added 90 people in June and is 730 positions ahead of June 2003. Leisure and hospitality employment climbed by 130 in June, but showed no growth over 2003. Accommodations and food services added 20 positions in June and showed a gain of 70 for the year. Manufacturing edged up by 30 positions in June and has expanded by 320 workers in the past 12 months. Tauer noted that June posted more unemployment claims than May, but he couldn’t pin down a specific reason other than seasonal changes involving schools. "I didn’t hear of any mass layoffs," he said. "Teachers count as year-round employees, but support staff is able to claim benefits over the summer." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times