BEND, OR -- Unemployment levels continued to drop in Central Oregon last month. All three counties saw significant drops in their unemployment rates in March.

Regional Economist Damon Runberg tells KBND warm weather is affecting numbers across the state. "Here in Deschutes County we saw a microcosm of that," Runberg says. "We saw continuation early in the winter of adding jobs and never saw the significant layoffs. When the first spring report came along, the numbers seemed lackluster, but really there was no hiring boom in the spring because there were no hiring layoffs to back into."

Deschutes County's unemployment rate in March was 6% -- it's lowest level since December 2007. Jefferson County's rate is 7.4% and Crook County's is 8.9%.