Portland-Area Unemployment Continues to Shrink

New numbers from the Oregon Employment Department paint a picture of a Portland economy that continues to grow.

Businesses in the area added 5,400 jobs.

The unemployment rate in the Portland metro area was 4.3 percent in February, down from 4.4 percent the month before.

The jobless rate is down from 5.2 percent the year before, meaning 52.4000 area residents found work, according to the employment department.

The last time the unemployment rate was at this level in the Portland area was April, 2000.

The department says that the rate of job growth in the Portland metro area ties it with Austin, Texas for the second fastest rate of job growth among the 50 largest metro areas in the country.

The Portland Metro Area includes Portland, Multnomah County, Washington County, and Vancouver, Washington.