The unemployment rate in Lincoln County held steady at a seasonally adjusted 5 percent in December, according to data released Wednesday by the Oregon Employment Department in Newport.
The seasonally adjusted rate was 4.8 percent in both November 2018 and December 2017. But Lincoln County has a higher unemployment rate than Oregon, which is 4.1 percent, and the nation, which is 3.9 percent.
The state said there were 19,211 people working in Lincoln County in December — 72 more than the previous year.
There was a decrease of 250 jobs in December – 260 cut in the private sector but 10 jobs added in government. The biggest decrease was the expected drop in leisure and hospitality jobs, at 210; food manufacturing shed 30 jobs.
Erik Knoder, regional economist for the agency in Newport, said December’s total non-farm employment in Lincoln County was 18,560 – or 290 more than a year earlier, an increase of 1.6 percent. The private sector added 500 jobs and government employment fell by 210.
Industries adding the most jobs during 2018 were professional and business services with 70 and trade, transportation and utilities, also 70, Knoder reported. Food manufacturing dropped 80 jobs year-to-year.
