SALEM, OR -- Oregon's unemployment rate rose a fraction to 3.8% in July, but remains near the record low of 3.6% seen in May of this year. Employment Department Economist Nick Beleicicks says an increasing number of people are finding full-time work, "The number of people who are working part-time but who would rather be working full-time - we call those 'involuntary part-time workers' - that's at a record low level."

The state added 5,900 jobs last month. Beleicicks says, "Job growth had slowed at the beginning of the year. In January, we were down to just 2% over-the-year job growth. Now we're back up to above three - we're at 3.1%; that's much faster than the U.S. rate." Leisure & Hospitality and Construction added the most jobs; Healthcare and Retail also saw gains. Professional & Business Services was the only major industry to cut more than a thousand jobs.