Analysts present overview of Wallowa County economy

ENTERPRISE — In the past two years, Wallowa County’s job loss average was not as low as the state of Oregon’s on the whole.

This was the only surprising news in the economic reports presented Wednesday at the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce After Business Hours meeting held at Lear’s.

Wallowa County’s job loss for 2008 and 2009 combined was 5.6 percent compared to the overall state average of 5.7 percent, said Jason Yohannan, regional economist with the Oregon Employment Department.

In 2009, Wallowa County realized its worst job loss since 1995 when the average was 4 percent. Oregon suffered its greatest job loss since 1982 in 2009. Yohannan said this was significant since 1982 was Oregon’s worst job loss year of the second half of the 20th century.

Two years of steady decline in jobs followed on the heels of 2007, a banner year for Wallowa County. In 2007 the county had the highest number of non-farm jobs, 2,500 total, and a 40-year low in unemployment.

Yohannan said that areas with themost job losses were government and manufacturing.

“Month-to-month employment trends are normal or better since September 2009,” he said.

December saw the first substantial jobs gain since July 2008.

Annette Shelton-Tiderman, also a regional economist, said that there are more sole proprietorships than businesses in Wallowa County. This means there are more businesses owned and operated by a single person than businesses who hire employees. Shelton-Tiderman said leisure and hospitality employ the most of all locally owned private businesses.

John Williams, OSU Extension agent, said that  based on farm gate sales, all commodities were down in 2009 from 2008. Farm gate sales are an agricultural product’s worth when it leaves the farm or ranch.

On a percentage basis, cattle numbers were not down as much as hay, grain and specialty products grown in the county.

“Cattle numbers were stable while farm gate sales were down,” Williams said.

Cattle sales made up 44 percent of all agricultural sales last year. Hay and wheat totaled 42 percent combined.

“Hay was the largest loser with the price off drastically from $150 a ton in 2008 to $100 a ton in 2009,” Williams said.