Question

After a long slow recover, Oregon's unemployment rate is low and a recent Bloomberg (2016) study named Oregon's economy the healthiest in the nation. After reading over the various subsets tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (discouraged workers, marginally attached workers, underemployment), discuss who has benefited in Oregon's economy, and who might be left out of the recovery as Oregon has attempted to transition its economy from one based on natural resources to one based on a mix of manufacturing, services, and technology. Why do you suppose Oregon continues to remain a relatively attractive location, moving from the 25th(2014) to the 11th fastest growing population of the United States by +8.14% (US Census, 2017)?

Compare and contrast the difference between short-term costs and benefits of low unemployment and the long-run goal of economic growth may play into job hunters' decisions to move to Oregon, or policy makers' efforts toward long-run growth.

Answer 1