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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Klamath County drug enforcement team revived due to increased trafficking ... Gem along the river ... Hi-fi hunters gather for Grants Pass Record Convention ... Klamath County drug enforcement team revived due to increased trafficking ... Gem along the river ... Hi-fi hunters gather for Grants Pass Record Convention ... JOBS Oregon jobless rate drops below 5 percent Comment By Steven DuBois The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Steven DuBois The Associated Press Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 4:37 PM By Steven DuBois The Associated Press Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 4:37 PM » Social News PORTLAND — How low can it go? Oregon's unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 percent in February, its lowest level in more than 20 years, according to figures released Tuesday by the state Employment Department. The jobless rate has been steadily declining since reaching a peak of nearly 12 percent in the spring of 2009, a time when Oregon was crushed by the recession. The state labor force has grown by nearly 100,000 in the past two years, driven largely by people moving from California and elsewhere, and finding work. Oregon added 4,300 jobs last month, led by the construction industry, after a gain of more than 9,000 jobs in January. That has sent the jobless rate plummeting to a mark last seen in April 1995. The U.S. unemployment rate for February was 4.9 percent. "We've been somewhat above the U.S employment rate for many years, and now this is the first time Oregon's rate has reached and fallen slightly below the U.S. rate," said David Cooke, a state economist. Another unemployment measure, known as U-6, slid to 9.7 percent in February — down from 20 percent in mid-2009. The figure includes discouraged workers who stopped looking as well as part-time workers who want but can't get full-time jobs. "It's really come down rapidly, the number of people working part-time for economic reasons, and that's a sign of a sharply tightening labor force in Oregon," Cooke said. Oregon workers have also been getting good news when it comes to pay. The average wage for private sector payroll employees has jumped 4.5 percent since last February, to $24.40, a much-better pace than the national average of roughly 2.5 percent. Besides construction, other major industries leading the way in February were health care and professional and business services. The laggards for the month were private educational services and manufacturing. By Steven DuBois The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Steven DuBois The Associated Press Posted Mar. 15, 2016 at 4:37 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501