Loss of public jobs dampens Oregon economy

While students are headed back to school, some attention has been paid to how many education jobs have been lost in Oregon over the past three years.  According to a report today in the Oregonian, public schools in the state have reduced the number of jobs by 6,500.  And, say state officials interviewed for the story, that number could top out at 10-thousand by the end of the year.

Interim state economist Mark McMullen says the job cuts, coupled with the sluggish housing industry, are creating a headwind preventing the state’s economy from achieving the rigorous recovery that typically follows a recession.