Oregon’s unemployment rate down to 4.4%

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s unemployment rate continues to drop.

The Oregon Employment Department said the state’s unemployment rate in October was an unusually low 4.4%, down from 4.7% in September.

Among the major industries, leisure and hospitality added over 3,000 jobs in October following a gain of 2,200 in September. Despite the increase, leisure and hospitality still account for the bulk of jobs not recovered since early 2020. The industry has regained 73% of jobs lost early in the pandemic.

The professional and technical services industry has grown rapidly this year, according to the OED. It added 4,200 jobs in the past three months and is now well above its pre-recession peak.

During the past couple of months, hiring in local government fell well below seasonal norms, with losses totaling 8,000 jobs during September and October.

The OED explained that even with the continued gains, the unemployment rate still isn’t near the state’s record low of 3.3% reached in late 2019.

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