Oregon unemployment rate holds at 5.1% in August as payrolls fall 800 jobs - KMTR

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon’s unemployment rate held steady in August, even as the state saw another month of job losses and continued weakness in several major industries, the Oregon Employment Department said. The state’s unemployment rate was 5.1% in August, little changed from 5.2% in July. Oregon’s jobless rate has stayed in a narrow band between 5.0% and 5.3% for the past 18 months, dating back to March 2025 when it was 5.0%. Nationally, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1% in both July and August. Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment declined by 800 jobs in August, following a revised loss of 1,800 jobs in July. The largest losses in August were in professional and business services, which shed 1,100 jobs.