BY SARAH ROSS

SALEM- Unemployment numbers released Tuesday by the Oregon Employment Department showed Oregon’s jobless rate has began to hover around 11 percent for January.

The numbers showed Oregon maintaining a 10.7 percent unemployment rate, which is up from 10.6 percent in December and 9.9 percent in January 2009.

The areas with the highest unemployment numbers included Crook County with 16.8 percent, Harney County with 15.5 percent, and Douglas, Deschutes, and Jefferson each having about 14 percent.

Shortly after the numbers were released, Governor Ted Kulongoski issued a press release saying, “Today’s employment numbers for the first month of the new year reveal positive job growth – a piece of good news that I hope is repeated throughout 2010 to get Oregon’s economy beyond the recession and onto a full recovery.”

“During this time, Oregon will continue to put its limited resources in services that help our neediest citizens today and in investments that will bring to all Oregonians a better tomorrow.”