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Socioeconomics <br />The crime data presented above in the demographics table cover the period from July 1993 to <br />June 1994. The crime rates for the combined downtown/campus area range between 4.05 and <br />4.66 percent of the total for the city of Eugene, while the area comprises 3.04 percent of the city <br />population. The crime rate in the area is nearly the same as for the city as a whole. <br />As shown in Table 11, the overall racial composition of the downtown campus areas indicates <br />fewer whites and a greater minority population compared with the overall Eugene area. One <br />notable difference is the greater number of Asian or Pacific Islander residents in the combined <br />downtown/campus area compared with the overall Eugene area. The majority of this difference <br />can be accounted for within the campus neighborhood area, which has a 16.5 percent Asian or <br />Pacific Islander population. <br />Table 11. Racial composition of the downtown/campus neighborhood areas and the <br />Eugene area. <br />Downtown/Campus Difference from <br />Race Neighborhood Areas Eugene Area Eugene Area <br />. <br />White <br />83.98% <br />94.0% __ <br />-10.02% <br />African American 1.00% 1.1% -0.10% <br />American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut 1.14% 0.9% 0.24% <br />Asian or Pacific Islander .11,22% 3.1% 8.12% <br />Other race 2.23% 1.0% 1.23% <br />Hispanic origin (any race) 4.75% 2.7% 2.05% <br />Source: Eugene (1995a). <br />Employment <br />Employment in Oregon grew by about 4 percent in both 1995 and 1996 and by 3.4 percent in <br />1997, more than double the population growth rate of about 1.6 percent per year. In the first 9 <br />months of 1998, Oregon's employment was 2.8 percent higher than in the prior year. However, <br />slowing economic growth became evident during the fall of 1998. By September 1998, <br />employment was below prior-year levels in manufacturing as a whole and in several <br />manufacturing categories, including lumber and wood products, industrial machinery, and <br />plastics. Construction employment was also lower (Oregon Secretary of State, 1999-2000 Blue <br />Book). <br />In recent years, employment growth has been more rapid in the Willamette Valley, and <br />particularly in the Portland area, than elsewhere in the state. This growth is due in part to high <br />technology industry growth. Between 1995 and 1997, employment in the Willamette Valley <br />(including Portland) grew by 8.4 percent, and employment outside the valley grew by 5.2 percent <br />(Oregon Secretary of State, 1999-2000 Blue Book). <br />Final EIS <br />110 <br />New Federal Courthouse <br />