Oregon\u2019s jobless rate reached 5% in July, up from 4.2% a year ago. That\u2019s the highest it\u2019s been since the state recovered from COVID-19 lockdowns that pushed tens of thousands of people out of work in 2020.<\/p>\n
Outside of that COVID spike \u2014 which pushed unemployment up to a high of nearly 14% in April\u00a02020 before job levels recovered in mid-2021\u2014 a greater share of Oregon\u2019s workforce is unemployed than at any time since 2016, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Employment Department.<\/p>\n
The U.S. jobless rate, by contrast, was unchanged compared to a year ago, at 4.2% in July. The country is still creating more jobs than it\u2019s cutting, but job growth is slowing nationwide according to a report that drew condemnation from President Donald Trump and prompted him to fire the messenger<\/a>, former Commissioner of Labor Statistics Erika McEntarfer.<\/p>\n While the rest of the country adds jobs \u2014 albeit slowly \u2014 Oregon\u2019s labor force is shrinking.<\/p>\n The U.S. jobless rate, by contrast, was unchanged compared to a year ago, at 4.2% in July. The country is still creating more jobs than it\u2019s cutting, but job growth is slowing nationwide according to a report that drew condemnation from President Donald Trump and prompted him to fire the messenger<\/a>, former Commissioner of Labor Statistics Erika McEntarfer.<\/p>\n While the rest of the country adds jobs \u2014 albeit slowly \u2014 Oregon\u2019s labor force is shrinking.<\/p>\n