Oregon officials released statewide unemployment figures for March on Tuesday.
The state Employment Department reported the unemployment rate for March was 8.6%.
The jobless rate was 8.8% in February, the same as the month before. The unemployment rate has mostly been falling the past two years, as the state follows the nation's general pattern of economic recovery.
However, the fall in Oregon's figure also reflects, people leaving the job market rather than businesses rapidly boosting payrolls.
Workers at the State Employment Office say the drop can also be attributed to people giving up on looking for jobs.
