Lincoln County had an unemployment rate of 8 percent in February, down slightly from the 8.5 percent rate in January, the Oregon Employment Department said Tuesday
Still, because of restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic, the rate is much higher than the 3.8 percent unemployment rate in February a year earlier.
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in February; the national rate was 6.2 percent.
In February, 25 out of 36 of Oregon’s counties experienced over-the-month decreases in their unemployment rates. Lincoln and Tillamook counties saw the largest over-the-month decrease, declining 0.5 percentage point each in February.
Clatsop County had Oregon’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February at 8.1 percent. In addition to Lincoln County at 8 percent, other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates included Crook (8 percent), Curry (7.1 percent), and Union (7.1 percent).
Agency regional economist Erik Knoder said seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment in Lincoln County decreased by 80 in February to 16,740 jobs.
The private sector added 30 jobs, and government employment also rose by 30, Knoder reported. The leisure and hospitality sector added 40 jobs, and the construction industry grew by 30 jobs. Trade, transportation, and utilities cut 30 jobs and manufacturing also shed 30 jobs. Other industries had smaller changes.
February’s total nonfarm employment numbers show a loss of 1,930 jobs compared with one year before, a decrease of 10.7 percent. Almost every major industry lost jobs over the year. Leisure and hospitality accounted for much of the drop with a loss of 1,150 jobs, down 26.3 percent from the year before.
