Central Oregon loses 1,300 jobs as 2025 begins, but January unemployment rates hold steady
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Central Oregon unemployment rates were unchanged in January, though the region saw a 1,300-job reduction as 2025 began, the Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday.
Here's the full report from Regional Economist Nicole Ramos, including a change in the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area to include all of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties, as the U.S. Census Bureau announced a year ago:
The Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has changed from the single county of Deschutes to include all three Central Oregon counties. We will continue to publish county-specific employment data. You can read more about this change here https://qualityinfo.org/web/guest/-/bend-msa-adds-two-counties.
Revised 2024 estimates using payroll tax records are also now available. Annual benchmark revisions had little impact on the overall employment situation in 2024. Revisions were modest with total nonfarm employment gains being revised down by less than 1%.
Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties): Labor force statistics for Oregon metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are produced by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Through June 2025, seasonally adjusted data are not available for Oregon MSAs or other MSAs around the country. New MSA definitions resulting from the 2020 Census are being incorporated into the history of the data series back to 1990, as well as other updates to the processing of labor force estimates for substate areas. Read more on this pause in seasonally adjusted metro area data here.
The Bend MSA lost 1,300 jobs (-1.2%) from December to January and total nonfarm employment is now 110,160. Job losses were concentrated within trade, transportation, and utilities (-460 jobs), with most losses occurring in retail trade (-300 jobs); leisure and hospitality (-270 jobs); private education and health services (-90 jobs); and the public sector (-90 jobs). Gains were minimal and seen in other services (+30 jobs) and information (+20 jobs).
Total nonfarm employment increased by 2.7% (+2,880 jobs) from January 2024 to January 2025. Over-the-year job gains were concentrated in private education and health services (+1,170 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+1,000 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (+350 jobs). Other notable gains took place in manufacturing (+240 jobs) and professional and business services (+200 jobs). Over-the-year losses occurred within the public sector (-110 jobs) and information (-50 jobs).
Crook County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held firm over the month of January at 5.4%, unchanged from December’s rate—in January of last year, it was 6.1%. The unemployment rate remains 0.9 percentage point above the record low set before the pandemic, in late 2019, when it hit 4.5%.
Crook County lost 220 jobs (-3.0%) in January. All but two industries lost jobs over the month with the most job losses occurring in government (-90), followed by trade, transportation, and utilities (-30 jobs); professional and business services (-30 jobs); and leisure and hospitality (-30 jobs). Both other services and mining, logging, and construction saw little to no change over the month.
The county lost 160 jobs in the last year (-2.2%). Notable job losses were seen within the public sector (-90 jobs); manufacturing (-40 jobs); and professional and business services (-30 jobs). Over the year job gains were nominal and seen within other services (+60 jobs). Total private employment was down 70 jobs over the year.
Deschutes County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from December to January at 4.0%. In January of 2024 the unemployment rate was slightly lower at 3.9%. The unemployment rate remains 0.7 percentage point above its record low of 3.3% before the onset of the pandemic.
Deschutes County lost 1,040 jobs (-1.1%) from December to January and total nonfarm employment is now 96,450. Job losses were mainly concentrated within trade, transportation, and utilities (-430 jobs), with most losses occurring in retail trade (-290 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (-340 jobs); leisure and hospitality (-220 jobs); and private education and health services (-80 jobs). Gains were primarily seen within information (+30 jobs) and other services (+30 jobs).
Total nonfarm employment increased by 3.1% (+2,930 jobs) from January 2024 to January 2025. Over-the-year job gains were concentrated in private education and health services (+1,160 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+1,040 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (+370 jobs). Other notable gains took place in professional and business services (+230 jobs); and manufacturing (+200 jobs). Over-the-year losses occurred within the public sector (-100 jobs) and information (-40 jobs).
Jefferson County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged in January, holding steady at 4.6%. Last year the unemployment rate was slightly higher at 4.8% in January. Shortly before the first impacts from COVID-19 were felt the rate was 4.3%.
Total nonfarm employment lost 40 jobs in January (-0.6%) with losses concentrated within leisure and hospitality (-20 jobs). Minor losses were also seen in professional and business services (+10 jobs) and government (-10 jobs). All other super sectors saw little to no change over the month.
Jefferson County’s total nonfarm employment increased by 110 jobs over the past year (+1.7%). Job gains were concentrated in manufacturing (+80 jobs); government (+80 jobs); and private education and health services (+20 jobs). Losses were seen primarily within leisure and hospitality; other services; and financial activities, all of which lost 20 jobs over the year.
Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the February county and metropolitan area unemployment rates and employment survey data on Tuesday, April 1, and the statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for February on Wednesday, March 26.
