SALEM, Ore. – Job losses in April broke the record in Oregon due to COVID-19.
“Today’s release shows that 266,600 jobs were lost in the first two months of this pandemic and the unemployment rate has reached 14.2 percent. While these numbers make for shocking historical records, they cannot totally capture the economic trauma so many Oregonians are experiencing at this time,” said Anna Johnson, Senior Economic Analyst with the Oregon Employment Department.
Oregon’s unemployment rate was at a near-record low before the pandemic, at 3.5%. However, it soon shot up to 14.2% in April after public health measures shut down many businesses.
The hardest-hit industry was leisure and hospitality, with over half of its jobs lost in April.
According to the employment department, one out of every eight jobs in Oregon was idled or lost.
OED plans to release detailed county and city unemployment rates on May 27.
More data about the latest announcement, including tables and graphs, can be found at www.QualityInfo.org/press-release.
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