Portland’s economy a drag on Clark County

December 8, 2010

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Sure to incense some south of us, an article from Wednesdays’ Columbian states, “A report released Tuesday suggests that Portland’s economy has not kept pace with comparable cities, and that our neighbor to the south may be dragging Clark County down.”

“Portland’s economic shortcomings have influenced Clark County since the 1980s, and more recently, Portland’s economy has worsened Clark County’s high unemployment rate, said Scott Bailey, regional labor economist for the state Employment Security Department.”

Tim Duy, an economics professor at the University of Oregon said, “My sense is that if you’re going to view Clark County as essentially a bedroom community, they’re going to be very dependent on the job market in Portland. Portland workers who reside in Clark County are more at risk for job cuts.”

Scott Bailey, regional labor economist for the state Employment Security Department adds, “Unemployment claims filed by Clark County residents because they lost a job in another state have grown substantially faster than regular claims since the beginning of the recession.”

Clark County’s unemployment remains at 13%.

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