Salem area adds jobs; fewer unemployment claims filed

<!--Saxotech Paragraph Count: 22-->Salem's jobless rate has fallen below 10 percent for the first time since January 2009.The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the Salem area, which includes Marion and Polk counties, decreased to 9.7 percent in March, state employment officials said Monday. That's down from February's 10.3 percent."This is the first two-month period that we've seen a real healthy drop," said Pat O'Connor, a state regional economist.The Salem area posted a gain of

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