Central Oregon unemployment rates inch upward in July amid job losses, echoing statewide picture
Barney Lerten
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Central Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rates continued their upward movement in July, with job losses reported in all three counties, the Oregon Employment Department said Tuesday.
The new regional figures echo last week’s report that Oregon’s statewide jobless rate rose to 5% in July, its highest level in four years, when the COVID-19 pandemic was having severe economic impacts.
Here’s Tuesday’s Central Oregon jobs report from Regional Economist Nicole Ramos:
Bend MSA (Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties): The Bend MSA seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continued to increase over the month of July and is now 4.7%, up from a rate of 4.6% in June. In July of last year, it was 0.4 of a percentage point lower, at 4.3%.
The Bend MSA lost 1,600 jobs (-1.4%) from June to July, with the largest losses occurring in local government education employment (-2,430 jobs) as schools let out for the summer. Total nonfarm employment now stands at 110,290, with the private sector gaining 790 jobs over the month.
Private- sector job gains were concentrated within leisure and hospitality (+480 jobs) with most of those gains occurring in its accommodation and food services subsector (+350 jobs), followed by mining, logging, and construction (+280 jobs). Additional gains were recorded in manufacturing (+50 jobs); other services (+50 jobs); and information (+10 jobs).
Most private losses occurred in private education and health services (-40 jobs) and professional and business services (-20 jobs), with smaller losses occurring in trade, transportation, and utilities (-10 jobs) and financial activities (-10 jobs).
Total nonfarm employment decreased by 1.9% (-2,180 jobs) from July 2024 to July 2025. Over the year, job losses were widespread and concentrated within trade, transportation, and utilities (-990 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (-970 jobs). Smaller but notable losses also occurred in professional and business services (-330 jobs); information (-310) jobs); mining, logging, and construction (-240 jobs); other services (-170 jobs); and financial activities (-150 jobs).
Over the year, gains were largest within private education and health services (+600 jobs), but other notable gains also occurred within manufacturing (+200 jobs) and government (+180 jobs). All other major industries saw little to no change over the year.
Crook County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased slightly over the month of July and is now 5.4%, up from a rate of 5.3% in June—in July of last year, it was 0.1 percentage point lower at 5.3%.
Crook County lost 90 jobs (-1.2%) over the month. Losses were concentrated primarily within the public sector (-180 jobs), with the majority of losses occurring in local government (-190 jobs). Private-sector losses were smaller and seen in private education and health services (-30 jobs), information (-10 jobs), and manufacturing (-10 jobs). Private-sector gains were strongest in leisure and hospitality (+80 jobs) and professional and business services (+30 jobs), with additional gains seen in construction (+20 jobs) and financial activities (+10 jobs).
Over the past year, the county lost 300 jobs (-3.9%). Losses were concentrated within the information industry (-290 jobs) and occurred due to a change in the way the data was reported. Other notable losses occurred in trade, transportation, and utilities (-70 jobs); government (-60 jobs); other services (-50 jobs); and mining, logging, and construction (-30 jobs).
Over the year job gains were not as large and were concentrated within professional and business services (+90 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (+60 jobs). Smaller gains occurred in private education and health services (+30 jobs), financial activities (+10 jobs), and manufacturing (+10 jobs).
Deschutes County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.6% over the month of July, slightly higher than June’s 4.5% rate. In July 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 lost 1,190 jobs (-1.2%) from June to July, and employment is now 96,110. Job losses are typical this time of year due to local schools going on summer break and were concentrated in local education (-1,940 jobs).
Private-sector job losses occurred in professional and business services (-60 jobs), private education and health services (-10 jobs), and financial activities (-10 jobs). Gains were concentrated in leisure and hospitality (+370 jobs), with 240 jobs gained in accommodation and food services, followed by mining, logging, and construction (+260 jobs). Smaller job gains occurred within other services (+50 jobs) and information (+10 jobs).
Total nonfarm employment decreased 2.0% (-1,990 jobs) from July 2024 to July 2025. Over the year, job losses were strongest in leisure and hospitality (-990 jobs) and trade, transportation, and utilities (-880 jobs), with smaller but notable losses occurring in professional and business services (-480 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (-240 jobs); financial activities (-150 jobs); and other services (-80 jobs).
Gains were minimal and occurred in private education and health services (+530 jobs); manufacturing (+140 jobs); information (+100 jobs); and the public sector (+60 jobs). All other industries saw little to no movement over the year.
Jefferson County: The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased in July, going from a revised 4.9% in June to 5.2% in July. Last year the unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage point lower at 4.6% in July. Shortly before the first impacts from COVID-19 were felt the rate was 4.3%.
Total nonfarm employment shed 290 jobs in July (-4.2%) with losses concentrated in local government (-290 jobs). Smaller but notable losses were also recorded in manufacturing (-20 jobs); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-10 jobs); and private education and health services (-10 jobs). Gains were marginal and recorded in leisure and hospitality (+30 jobs) and mining and logging (+10 jobs). Very little movement was seen otherwise, with little to no change in all other industries.
Jefferson County’s total nonfarm employment increased by 10 jobs over the past year (+0.2%). Job gains were concentrated within the public sector (+80 jobs) with local government gaining the most jobs over the year (+60 jobs). Private-sector gains occurred in professional and business services (+50 jobs); mining, logging, and construction (+30 jobs); and private education and health services (+10 jobs).
Private-sector losses outnumbered gains for a net loss of 70 jobs within the private sector and were recorded in leisure and hospitality (-50 jobs); trade, transportation, and utilities (-50 jobs); other services (-30 jobs); manufacturing (-20 jobs); and information (-10 jobs).
Next Press Releases
The Oregon Employment Department plans to release the August county and metropolitan area unemployment rates and employment survey data on Tuesday, Sept. 23, and the statewide unemployment rate and employment survey data for August on Wednesday, Sept. 17.