Oregon’s Unemployment Hits 5.2% as State Falls to 47th Worst in the Nation

Oregon Employment Department monthly employment and unemployment data for November shows that the state’s unemployment rate was 5.2%, making Oregon one of the worst states for unemployment.

Oregon Unemployment Reaches 5.2% in November

After a significant delay due to the federal government shutdown, the Oregon Employment Department published data, excluding October, due to the shutdown. In September and November, Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5.2%. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.6% in November.

Gains in employment in Oregon were in:

• Nonfarm payroll employment: Seasonally adjusted payrolls rose by 1,600 jobs in November, following a loss of 2,000 jobs in October.
• Leisure and hospitality: 3,900 jobs were added between July and November, following a stagnant period of employment from 2023 through mid-2025, of which 2,100 jobs were added in November
• Health care and social assistance: 10,900 jobs, or 3.5%, were added between November 2024 and November 2025, and +1,000 jobs were added in November.

The most significant losses were:

• Government: 2,300 jobs cut between September and November. The federal government lost 800 jobs over the most recent two months, as those taking early retirement incentives were recorded as leaving payrolls in October.
• Information: 1,200 cut jobs between September and November. Since reaching a peak of 37,300 jobs three years ago, the November data reflect 33,400 total jobs.

BLS Ranks Oregon Tied 47th out of 51 In November

Despite job gains in some Oregon industries, the state remained in the highest unemployment tier nationwide in November, according to the monthly benchmark the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses to compare states.

The federal government rated Oregon’s November 2025 unemployment rates among the nation’s highest in the BLS’s federal seasonally adjusted state ranking.

At 5.2%, Oregon’s unemployment rate put the state at a tied 47th out of 51 states- 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Worse states were Washington, D.C. at 6.5%, California at 5.5%, and New Jersey at 5.4%.