Seattle & Northwest | December 16, 2020

Oregon Unemployment Rate Drops, as COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive

Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped for seventh straight month to 6.0% in November from 6.8% in October. This drove Oregon’s rate below the U.S. unemployment rate, which dipped to 6.7% in November from 6.9% in October.

The positive news came as the state began receiving shipments of its Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Oregon hospitals are scheduled to begin administering the first COVID-19 vaccinations in the state to frontline health care workers today.

Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 4,200 jobs in November, following a revised gain of 9,800 jobs in October. Oregon employers added jobs in each of the past seven months, and the state has recovered 46% of the jobs cut in March and April.

Sectors that reported the largest over-the-month job gains in November were in transportation, warehousing and utilities (+3,100 jobs); professional and business services (+2,600); manufacturing (+1,700); and healthcare and social assistance (+1,500). Monthly losses were concentrated in construction (-2,300 jobs); government (-1,800); and retail trade (-1,100).

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About Dennis Kaiser

Dennis Kaiser is Vice President of Content and Public Relations for Connect Commercial Real Estate. Dennis is a communications leader with more than 30 years of experience including as a journalist and in corporate and agency marketing communications roles. He is responsible for Connect’s client content operations and is involved in a range of initiatives ranging from content strategy, message development, copywriting, media relations, social media and content marketing services. In his most recent corporate communications roles, he led a regional public relations effort across Southern California for CBRE, played a key marketing role on JLL’s national retail team, and was responsible for directing the global public relations effort at ValleyCrest, the nation’s largest commercial landscape services company. In addition to his vast commercial real estate experience, Dennis has worked on communications and launch strategies for a number of residential projects such as Disney’s Celebration in Florida, Ritter Ranch in Palmdale California (7,200 homes, 22,000 acres), WaterColor in Florida and PremierGarage in Phoenix. Dennis’s agency background included firms such as Idea Hall and Macy + Associates. He has earned an outstanding reputation with organization leaders as a trusted advisor, strategic program implementer, consensus builder and exceptional collaborator. Dennis has developed and managed national communications programs for Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, both public and private. He’s successfully worked with journalists across the globe representing clients involved in major-breaking news stories, product launches, media tours, and company news announcements. Dennis has been involved in a host of charitable and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, BoyScouts, Chrysalis Foundation, Freedom For Life, HOLA, L.A.’s BEST, Reach Out and Read, Super Bowl Host Committee, and Thunderbirds Charities.

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