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Regional Talk Focuses on Impact of Tight Labor Mkt

BEND, OR -- Central Oregon’s economy continues to grow, keeping the local jobless rates at record lows. Regional Employment Economist Damon Runberg will moderate a conversation next week, about how that growth will impact the area into 2019. He says, to understand our current economic climate, we need a bigger picture perspective, "We tend to silo ourselves in different communities, say well, 'what's Deschutes County doing, or what's Crook County doing, how's Bend doing versus Redmond?' and I sort of want to change our expectations and then think of ourselves as one community, as Central Oregon." He says growth of new businesses is keeping the labor supply low, leaving companies across the area struggling to find qualified workers, "These macro conversations tend to not really bring the impact home until it's like, 'what does that mean for me?' And I think that's sort of our goal, to bring it back home like that." 

 

Runberg tells KBND News Wednesday's Economic Impact Breakfast should be helpful, "I think it's going to be a great snapshot into some of these broader trends that we don't talk about as much; things that are going on at the statewide level, or some of these macro events at the National level." He adds, "[It will be] a great interpretation of what's been happening in the last year or two, from an economic perspective at the national level, at the statewide level. And, they're going to walk away with, hopefully, what that means for them as a business owner, or a worker, or a nonprofit that runs out of Central Oregon."


Wednesday’s Economic Impact breakfast is hosted by the Bend Chamber. It starts at 8 a.m. at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes. Click HERE for more details.

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