Oregon Jobless Rate Stays at 5.2% With No Sign of Improvement as State Continues to Trail U.S. Average

Unchanged from February, Oregon’s unemployment rate remained at 5.2% in March, almost a percentage point above the national rate.

Oregon Unemployment Rate Remains Higher Than National Average

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3% in March and 4.4% in February. In the same months,

Oregon’s Unemployment Rate was unchanged at 5.2%, according to the Oregon Employment Department. The March data for the state shows:

• Losses were largest in professional and business services (-2,400 jobs) (-1,800 in February) and government (-800).
  • Professional and business services cut 10,600 jobs, or 4.1%, over the last 12 months.
  • Since March 2025, government employment has declined. After peaking at an all-time high of 318,700 jobs in September, it has now dropped down to 313,200 by March- a loss of 5,500 jobs.
  • The federal government also shed 3,000 jobs, bringing the total to 26,700 in March, down from its recent high of 29,700 in October 2024.
  • Local government, which employed 237,200 people in March, is down 1,000 jobs, or 0.4%, in the past 12 months.

• Motor vehicle and parts dealers cut the most jobs in the last year, employing 24,500 in March, a drop of 1,100 over the past 12 months.
• Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment declined by 4,800 jobs (6,900 jobs lost in February).
• Gains were largest in retail trade (+900 jobs) plus (800 in February), which rebounded somewhat from weak performance last year. It added 800 jobs in February and 900 jobs in March, but was still 1,900 jobs, or 0.9%, below its March 2025 level.