OLMIS

by Andre Harboe
Published Nov-22-2011

Labor Force Participation by Group Unemployment Rates Decreased Among All Groups in 2010 Definitions

Oregon's unemployment rate fell from 11.5 percent in 2009 to 11.0 percent in 2010 as the effects of the recession subsided throughout the state. Unemployed Oregonians in all race and ethnicity groups struggled to find employment, but the labor market problems faced by blacks and Hispanics have been especially difficult over the last few years. The unemployment rate was 12.8 percent for blacks or African Americans and 11.6 percent for Hispanics or Latinos in 2010. These figures were higher than the 11.0 percent unemployment rate for whites and the 5.2 percent unemployment rate for Asians.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the labor market difficulties of blacks and Hispanics are related to a variety of factors, not all of which are measurable. These factors include lower average levels of schooling, the tendency to be employed in occupations with high levels of unemployment, a greater concentration in the central cities of urban areas where job opportunities may be limited, and the increased likelihood of experiencing discrimination in the workplace.

Estimates derived from the BLS's Current Population Survey are used to describe some of the labor force characteristics of the state's major race and ethnic groups. In some cases, the large error ranges around these sample-based estimates make it difficult to know for sure if differences actually exist between the employment statuses of the various groups.

The overall labor force participation rate of Oregon residents was 66 percent in 2010 - 1 percentage point higher than the national rate. Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Hispanics had the highest labor force participation rate at 74 percent, followed by whites at 66 percent, Asians at 64 percent, and blacks at 55 percent.

Oregon's Hispanic labor force participation rate was higher than the nation's 68 percent and the state's white participation rate was slightly higher than the nation's 65 percent, as shown in Graph 1. The participation rate of blacks in Oregon was lower than the nation's 62 percent rate, and the participation rate of Asians was 1 percentage point lower than the national average.

A bright spot in the data is the fact that all groups experienced decreased unemployment rates in Oregon in 2010 compared with the previous year. This gives little solace to the unemployed since unemployment remained at elevated levels.

In addition, blacks and Hispanics have converged closer to the white unemployment rate while reducing their unemployment numbers in 2010. Oregon's unemployment rate fell by 0.5 percentage point, but blacks or African Americans dropped by 2.4 percentage points, Hispanics or Latinos by 0.8 percentage point, and Asians by 0.8 percentage point - all above the average. Whites, on the other hand, dropped by a below-average amount of 0.1 percentage point.

Among the major race and ethnic groups, the unemployment rate was 2.3 percentage points higher among whites in Oregon when compared with the nation. This was the only group to have a higher rate than the nation. All other groups had unemployment rates that were lower than the national average. Blacks or African Americans had the largest difference between the state and national rates - Oregon's rate was 3.2 percentage points lower. The unemployment rate for Asians was 2.3 percentage points lower in Oregon, and the rate for Hispanics was 0.9 percentage point lower in Oregon.

Labor Force Participation Rate: The percent of the civilian noninstitutional population that is either employed or unemployed. The civilian noninstitutional population includes persons who are 16 years and older, and who are not confined to nursing homes and prisons, or in the Armed Forces.

Unemployment Rate: The share of the labor force that has no employment, is available for work (except for temporary illness), and made efforts to find employment sometime during the four weeks prior to being surveyed. However, people waiting to be recalled from a layoff do not need to be looking for work to be considered unemployed.