Oregon Unemployment Holds at 5.1% as State Loses 10,900 Jobs Over Year

Oregon — Oregon’s unemployment rate remained above the national rate in August as the state continued to record fewer jobs than a year earlier, according to data from the Oregon Employment Department.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1% in August, little changed from 5.2% in July. Oregon’s rate has remained between 5% and 5.3% since March 2025.

The national unemployment rate was 4.1% in both July and August, placing Oregon’s rate one percentage point above the national figure.

Oregon’s civilian labor force included approximately 2.21 million people in August. About 2.1 million were employed, while 112,968 were unemployed.

Employers cut 800 nonfarm payroll jobs in August following a revised loss of 1,800 jobs in July. Professional and business services recorded the largest monthly decline, losing 1,100 jobs. Construction added 700 jobs, while retail trade gained 500.

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Over the 12 months ending in August, Oregon lost 10,900 payroll jobs, a decline of 0.5%.

Manufacturing experienced the largest reduction, shedding 6,800 jobs, or 3.8% of its workforce. Most other major industries that lost employment recorded declines of less than 2%.

Health care and social assistance remained the state’s strongest-growing major industry, adding 10,200 jobs over the year, an increase of 3.2%. Private education added 800 jobs, or 2.2%, while other services gained 1,300 jobs, or 2%.

The longer-term figures show broad weakness, but employment data from the past five months indicate some stabilization. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 1,800 jobs, or 0.1%, between March and August.

Health care and social assistance added 3,800 jobs during that period. Construction gained 2,200, other services added 1,700, and retail trade and private education each gained 1,400.

Those increases were partially offset by losses of 3,100 manufacturing jobs, 2,600 leisure and hospitality jobs and 2,000 government jobs.

Separate metro-area figures covering July 2025 through July 2026 showed employment growth in the Salem, Bend and Grants Pass areas. Employment declined in the Portland-Vancouver, Eugene-Springfield, Corvallis and Albany metropolitan areas, while Medford remained nearly unchanged.