August 24, 2022 3:30 a.m.

Douglas County employment increased a seasonally adjusted 220 jobs in July after losses of 130 in June and 200 jobs in May.

A State of Oregon Employment Department release said Douglas County has now gained back 73 percent of the jobs lost in March and April of 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

Regional Economist Brian Rooney said in the not-seasonally adjusted private-sector industries in July, there were gains in leisure and hospitality of 100, education and health services of 80, and 50 for manufacturing. There was a small loss of 10 in the “other services” category.

Rooney said government lost 690 jobs from a seasonal loss of 720 in local education and an additional loss of 30 in non-education local government that was countered by an increase in Indian tribal.

The release said when comparing July 2022 with July 2021, total nonfarm employment increased by 10. Large over-the-year gains were seen in education and health services of 140, 120 in leisure and hospitality, 110 in wholesale trade, and 60 in financial activities. There were losses in professional and business services of 290, 80 in construction and 60 in retail trade.

Douglas County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in July compared with a revised 4.4 percent in June. July’s rate matches the record low set in October 2019., The rate is down from 5.8 percent in July 2021. The Oregon seasonally adjusted July rate was 3.5 percent, which is the same as the U.S. rate.