Unemployment numbers to rise after 2-week freeze, experts say

MEDFORD, Ore. — Two days before Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s 2-week freeze begins, experts say they expect unemployment numbers to rise.

The state said last week it was expecting an influx of unemployment claims after the freeze begins.

As of September, the department says the unemployment rate in Jackson County is 8.7 percent.

That’s down from a peak of 15.6 percent in April around the start of the pandemic.

But it’s still higher when compared to September of last year, when the unemployment number was a little over 4 percent.

With the governor’s latest ‘2 week’ pause, Regional Economist for the Oregon Employment Department Guy Tauer says the hospitality and leisure sector could take a hit.

“Not so much hotels, but definitely restaurants and bars where they are only allowed to do take out, not closing but just moving to a take out only during this two week freeze period,” said Tauer.

This past February, Tauer says 11,200 people were employed in the leisure and hospitality industry.

When the pandemic hit, employment in that sector fell to 5,800 and has since bounced back to nearly 9,000 as of June.