Disaffected but undeterred, unemployed Portlanders pound the pavement in search of jobs.

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Disaffected but undeterred, unemployed Portlanders pound the pavement in search of jobs. A few days ago, the Wall Street Journal took a look “youth magnet” cities–i.e. cities that draw lots of young, college-educated migrants. Seattle’s on the list, of course, but the story focuses on our always-outdoing-us neighbors in Portland.If you’ve been there in the last decade, you’ve seen it with your own eyes: the coffee shops, the fixies, the legions in skinny jeans. It’s like Pike/Pine and Williamsburg got together, pumped out a few litters, and abandoned them on the banks of the Willamette. Problem is, while Portland can’t stop attracting 20-somethings, it can stop providing them jobs. The city’s unemployment rate is pushing 12%, well above the national average. By contrast, Seattle attracted even more young’uns in the last few years, but we’ve managed to keep our unemployment rate at a comparatively miniscule 7.9%. For once, we can look South and not be green with envy.