December 24, 2020 3:30 a.m.

Douglas County’s unemployment rate continued to drop in November.

A release from the State of Oregon Employment Department said the county’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from a revised 6.5 percent in October to 5.9 percent in November. Regional Economist Brian Rooney said the county has been tracking slightly below the statewide and national rates. The Oregon seasonally adjusted November rate was 6.0 percent, while the U.S. rate was 6.7 percent in November.

Rooney said Douglas County’s payroll employers dropped a seasonally adjusted 30 jobs in November after adding 50 in September and adding 290 in October. The county has gained back 47 percent of the jobs lost in March and April at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

The largest not seasonally adjusted private-sector gains in the county were in transportation, warehousing and utilities which added 50 jobs. Education and health services gained 40 jobs. Professional and business services gained 30 jobs. Leisure and hospitality lost 60 jobs while construction lost 40 positions.

The update said government lost 20 jobs from a loss of 110 in the federal government, mainly from census workers, which was countered by gains of 60 in local education, 20 in noneducation local government and 10 in Indian tribal.

Rooney said when comparing November 2020 with November of 2019, total nonfarm employment is down 1,840 jobs or 4.7 percent. All major private industry sectors are down over the year except for wholesale trade which gained 80 jobs.