CENTRAL OREGON -- The Deschutes county unemployment rate in January hit 3-point-6-per cent and Economist Damon Runberg says that rate is lower than at any time since records were kept. He says Crook county’s unemployment rate was at 5-point-1-per cent and Jefferson county’s unemployment rate was 4-point-6-per cent. But Runberg says job growth

numbers dropped last year. He says job growth was believed to be more than 4-per cent last year but it turns out, job growth was just over 2-per cent. Runberg says that means a lot of employers may be having trouble filling job openings.