The number of open jobs in Oregon declined last fall to the lowest number in more than five years, another discouraging signal from the state\u2019s declining labor market.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Oregon employers had just 46,000 job openings last fall, according to new state figures<\/a>, the fewest since the pandemic. At the same time, Oregon unemployment has risen to its highest level since the pandemic \u2014 5.2%.<\/p>\n The result is that Oregon now has 2.4 unemployed people for each vacant job, according to Anna Johnson of the Oregon Employment Department. That\u2019s a far worse ratio than the U.S. as a whole. Nationally, the number of unemployed is only slightly higher than the number of open jobs.<\/p>\n Oregon\u2019s imbalance reflects steady deterioration in the state\u2019s economy. Employment fell by 0.2% in 2025, the only time that\u2019s happened without a national recession since at least 1990<\/a>. <\/p>\n Unemployment climbed to 5.2%, its highest level since the pandemic, amid a historic surge of layoffs<\/a>. Factories shed the most jobs last year amid a prolonged downturn in Oregon\u2019s manufacturing sector<\/a>, driven by Intel\u2019s mass layoffs and cuts at many other large employers. <\/p>\n There are some hopeful signs for the labor market, though. The unemployment rate has been flat for four months.<\/p>\n And a few sectors are still growing, notably health care. It added 13,000 jobs during 2025 and still has nearly 15,000 vacancies. That reflects Oregon\u2019s aging population, the oldest in the West<\/a>.<\/p>\n This past week, state economists told a legislative committee they are seeing signs of resilience in Oregon\u2019s economy. The state\u2019s economic output grew faster than the nation\u2019s last summer (fall data isn\u2019t available yet). Employers seem to have adjusted to the trade war and unemployment claims aren\u2019t rising as fast. <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe we are seeing a turning point here where we\u2019re starting to move in a more positive direction,\u201d said state economist Carl Riccadonna<\/a>. He said recent conversations with the Governor\u2019s Council of Economic Advisors have been encouraging, with members reporting that Oregon business leaders are feeling better about their outlook.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s optimism that these large employers are working through their problems, the worst is behind us and the outlook is becoming more constructive,\u201d Riccadonna said.<\/p>\n