Guy Tauer is the Regional Economist with the Oregon Employment Department covering the Rogue Valley. He has worked for the agency since 1999. He received a promotion to Regional Economist in 2001. A native Oregonian, Guy holds a degree in economics and a minor in business administration from Southern Oregon University. Guy concentrates on labor force, economic and demographic data.
Guy shared unemployment reports with the club, indicating very low employment rates in Jackson County. In May 2017, the unemployment rate was 4.2%. The nonfarm unemployment rate change in Jackson County by sector, May 2016 – May 2017 are:
- Private education and health services – up 630 Positions
- Leisure & hospitality – up 460 Positions
- Professional & business services – up 440 Positions
- Retail trade – up 470 Positions
- Other services – up 170 Positions
- Construction –up 150 Positions (150)
- Manufacturing DOWN 100 Positions
- Government DOWN 200 Positions
During the past year, the Medford MSA (Jackson County) gained 2,060 payroll jobs, a growth rate of 2.4 percent. Industries with the largest employment gains over the year included health care and social assistance (+560), leisure and hospitality (+310), retail trade (+240), construction (+240), other services (+210), and wholesale trade (+120). Government employment declined by 240 jobs since June 2016 with declines in local government education (-140) and federal government (-60) partially offset by a gain of 80 jobs in state government.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, estimated at 4.4 percent in June, remains close to record lows going back to 1990. A year earlier, the unemployment rate was considerably higher at 6.1 percent.
Many of Guy’s reports and studies can be found at qualityinfo.org, the Oregon Employment Department’s labor market information website.
