Central Oregon unemployment rates are still rising, amid a mix of job gains and losses
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Central Oregon seasonally adjusted unemployment rates continued their upward movement in August, with rates increasing in Jefferson and Crook County, the Oregon Employment Department reported Tuesday.
Here's the full report for the Bend Metro Area and all three counties:
Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties):
The Bend MSA gained 550 jobs (0.5%) from July to August, with the largest losses occurring in the public sector, specifically within federal government which lost 80 jobs over the month. Local government gained 290 jobs over the month for a net gain of 210 in the public sector. Private-sector job gains were concentrated within private education and health services (+190 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (+80 jobs); and professional and business services (+70 jobs). Additional gains were recorded in other services (+40 jobs), manufacturing (+30 jobs), and financial activities (+10 jobs). Private-sector losses were concentrated in mining, logging, and construction (-60 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (-20 jobs). Within leisure and hospitality, the accommodation and food services subsector added 30 jobs over the month; however, these gains were not enough to offset losses in other areas of the sector.
Total nonfarm employment decreased by 1.5% (-1,720 jobs) from August 2024 to August 2025. Over the year, private job losses were widespread and concentrated in leisure and hospitality (1,150 jobs) with approximately half of losses occurring in accommodation and food services (-620 jobs), followed by losses within trade, transportation, and utilities (-790 jobs)—retail trade (-420 jobs) having lost the most jobs over the year. Smaller losses occurred in information (-310 jobs); professional and business services (-240 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (-210 jobs); other services (-110 jobs); and financial activities (-100 jobs). Gains over the year were largest within private education and health services (+660 jobs), but other notable gains occurred in manufacturing (+200 jobs). Within manufacturing, durable goods increased by 220 jobs. Within the public sector, federal government dropped jobs (-140), while local government is up 450 jobs and state government is up by 20 jobs for a net gain of 330 jobs over the year.
Crook County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased slightly over the month of August and is now 5.4%, up from a revised rate of 5.3% in July—in August of last year, it was 0.2 percentage point lower at 5.2%.
Crook County lost 50 jobs (-0.7%) over the month. Losses were concentrated within leisure and hospitality (-40 jobs), private education and health services (-10 jobs), and financial activities (-10 jobs). Public-sector employment remained unchanged as federal government losses (-10 jobs) were offset by local government gains (+10 jobs). Private-sector gains were minimal and occurred in manufacturing (+10 jobs). All other industries saw little to no change over the month.
Over the past year the county lost 370 jobs (-4.8%). Losses were concentrated within the information industry (-290 jobs) and occurred due to a change in the way the data was reported. Otherwise, losses occurred in government (-100 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (-80 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (-50 jobs) with both construction (-30) and mining and logging (-20) losing jobs; and other services (-30 jobs). Within the public sector, both local (-70) and federal government (-30) lost jobs while state government remained unchanged. Over the year, job gains were concentrated in professional and business services (+100 jobs) with smaller gains in private education and health services (+30 jobs), leisure and hospitality (+20 jobs), manufacturing (+20 jobs), and financial activities (+10 jobs).
Deschutes County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6% over the month of August. In August 2024 the unemployment rate was lower at 4.1%. The unemployment rate is 1.3 percentage points above its record low of 3.3% before the onset of the pandemic.
Deschutes County gained 620 jobs (0.6%) from July to August, and employment is now 96,840. Job gains were concentrated in the public sector (+230 jobs) at the local level, with most occurring in local education (+300 jobs). Private-sector gains were strongest in private education and health services (+200 jobs); professional and business services (+70 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (+70 jobs). Job gains also occurred in other services (+40 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+30 jobs); manufacturing (+20 jobs); and financial activities (+10 jobs). Private-sector job losses were minimal and took place in mining, logging, and construction (-50 jobs), while within the public sector losses occurred in federal government (-70 jobs).
Total nonfarm employment decreased 1.4% (-1,420 jobs) from August 2024 to August 2025. Over the year, private job losses were strongest in leisure and hospitality (-1,130 jobs) and trade, transportation, and utilities (-670 jobs), with smaller but notable losses occurring in professional and business services (-390 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (-190 jobs); financial activities (-110 jobs); and other services (-60 jobs). Private job gains were minimal and occurred in private education and health services (+590 jobs); manufacturing (+130 jobs); and information (+90 jobs). In the public sector (+320 jobs) federal government lost 110 jobs over the year, while local government employment increased by 420 jobs, and state government by 10 jobs.
Jefferson County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased in August, going from 5.2% in July to 5.4% in August. Last year the unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage point lower at 4.7% in August. Shortly before the first impacts from COVID-19 the rate was 4.3%.
Total nonfarm employment saw no change over the month of August, remaining at 6,630 jobs. Gains were small and seen in manufacturing (+10 jobs); private education and health services (+10 jobs); and trade, transportation, and utilities (+10 jobs). Losses were also marginal and recorded in leisure and hospitality (-10 jobs) and government (-20 jobs). Very little movement was seen otherwise with little to no change in all other industries.
Jefferson County’s total nonfarm employment decreased by 20 jobs over the past year (-0.3%). Private-sector gains were concentrated in professional and business services (+40 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (+40 jobs); and private education and health services (+20 jobs). Private-sector losses outnumbered gains for a net loss of 20 jobs within the private sector and were recorded in leisure and hospitality (-50 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (-50 jobs); other services (-10 jobs); and manufacturing (-10 jobs). Government saw little to no change during this time with losses equaling gains.
Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the September county and metropolitan area unemployment rates and employment survey data on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and the statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for September on W
