September 20, 2022 11:00 a.m. 

Douglas County payroll employment increased a seasonally adjusted 170 jobs in August after a gain of 280 in July and a loss of 130 jobs in June.

A release from the State of Oregon Employment Department said the county has gained back 80 percent of the jobs lost in March and April 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

Regional Economist Brian Rooney said in the not seasonally adjusted private-sector industries in August, there were gains in professional and business services of 190 jobs. in transportation, warehousing and utilities of 60, and of 40 in retail trade. Rooney said there was a loss of 50 in manufacturing.

Government gained 170 jobs from a gain of 170 in local government.

Rooney said when comparing August 2022 with August 2021, total nonfarm employment increased by 590 jobs or 1.6 percent. Large over-the-year gains were seen in education and health services of 160, 130 in leisure and hospitality, 90 in wholesale trade and in transportation, warehousing and utilities. There were losses in federal government of 90, in professional and business services of 40, and of 30 in manufacturing.

Douglas County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged up to 4.5 percent in August compared with a revised 4.4 percent in July. Douglas County’s record low unemployment rate was set in October 2019 at 4.4 percent. The rate is down from 5.5 percent in August 2021. The Oregon seasonally adjusted August rate was 3.7 percent, which was the same as the U.S. rate.