{"id":677,"date":"2019-02-01T10:30:47","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T18:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.scarabmedia.com\/?p=677"},"modified":"2019-07-12T10:38:04","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T17:38:04","slug":"rogue-valley-2018-labor-force-and-job-growth-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southernoregonbusiness.com\/rogue-valley-2018-labor-force-and-job-growth-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Rogue Valley 2018 Labor Force and Job Growth Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Guy Tauer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the 30,000 foot view of our job and labor market, 2018 will go down as another year in the Rogue Valley\u2019s long recovery from the Great Recession that saw continued job growth, low unemployment rates, and continued, but slowing expansion of the region\u2019s civilian labor force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson County\u2019s annual average unemployment rate in 2018 marched to record low of 4.7 percent, essentially unchanged from 4.7 percent in 2017. Josephine County\u2019s 2018 annual average unemployment rate was slightly higher at 5.4 percent, tying the prior year\u2019s record low rate going back to 1990. The Rogue Valley\u2019s unemployment rate has been trending downward since the last peak in 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The civilian labor force \u2013 those who are 16 and older, who are either employed or looked for work within the past 30 days \u2013 continued to grow in 2018 in both Jackson and Josephine counties. Both counties saw a slower rate of growth in their labor force than the prior year. In Josephine County, the labor force increased by just over 1,000 in 2016 and 2017, or 1.1 percent gains both years. In 2018, the labor force rose by 0.4 percent, or an increase of about 400. After reaching a pre-recession peak of about 35,300 in 2009, the civilian labor force fell to low of 32,200 in 2013. By 2018, the labor force attained a new peak of about 35,800, or an increase of 11.2 percent from the Great Recession trough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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