Oregon started counting the unemployment rate in the current method back in 1976.
And in that entire time, the rate has never dropped to 3.8%. Until now.
Unemployment dipped to a record levelin March, lower than the national average (which is 4.5 %; California stands at 4.9%).
There are plenty of stories behind the numbers. Timothy Duy at the Oregon Economic Forum at the University of Oregon tracks the numbers and the stories, as does David Cooke at the Employment Department.They explore the numbers and their meaning with us.