Oregon sees slow, steady decline in jobs as unemployment remains relatively flat - Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB

Oregon’s unemployment rate went down a tenth of a percentage point in August, according to the latest Oregon Employment Department report , dropping the state’s jobless rate to 5.1%. The state’s unemployment rate has been relatively flat for more than a year, remaining between 5.0% and 5.3% since March 2025 . But despite the steady unemployment rate, the state has been on a long-term trend of losing jobs. Oregon has lost 10,900 jobs in the past year while the unemployment rate remained flat. It has lost a total of 24,500 jobs since September 2024, when the unemployment rate was 4.2%. The sector most affected by losses is manufacturing, which is down 14,600 jobs over the past two years .