May 4, 2026, 3:40 a.m.  

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in both March and February.

A release from the State of Oregon Employment Department said in March, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment declined by 4,800 jobs following a loss of 6,900 jobs, as revised. March’s gains were largest with an increase of 900 jobs in retail trade. Losses were largest in professional and business services and government, which shed 2,400 jobs and 800 jobs respectively.

State employment economist Gail Krumenauer said retail trade rebounded somewhat from weak performance last year. It added 800 jobs in February and 900 jobs in March. Krumenauer said it was still 1,900 jobs, or 0.9 percent below its March 2025 level. Since March 2025, motor vehicle and parts dealers cut the most jobs of the published retail component industries category. It employed 24,500 in March, which was a drop of 1,100 jobs over the past 12 months.

OED said government employment has declined over the past six months. Peaking at an all-time high of 318,700 jobs in September, it is now down to 313,200 as of March. That was a loss of 5,500 jobs. Federal government continued to drop jobs. At 26,700 jobs in March, it is down 3,000 jobs from its recent high point of 29,700 jobs in October 2024. Local government, which employed 237,000 in March, has been trending downward over the past several months and is down 1,000 jobs, or 0.4 percent in the past 12 months.

Krumenauer said professional and business services continued a three-year downtrend, cutting 2,400 jobs in March after a loss of 1,800 jobs in February. In the most recent 12 months, it cut 10,600 jobs or 4.1 percent.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in March and 4.4 percent in February.