September 20, 2023 3:50 a.m.

Douglas County payroll employment increased a seasonally adjusted 190 jobs in August after increases of 30 in July and 20 in June.

A State of Oregon Employment Department release said the county has gained back 86 percent of the jobs lost in March and April 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

Workforce Analyst Henry Fields said in the not seasonally adjusted private-sector industries in August, there were gains of 40 jobs in private education and health services, while both the transportation, warehousing and utilities, and the professional and business services categories, added 30 jobs. Manufacturing lost 30 positions while leisure and hospitality saw a loss of 20 jobs.

Government gained 120 jobs in August, mostly from gains of 90 in local education, 20 in noneducation local government and 10 in federal government.

OED said when comparing August 2023 with August 2022, total nonfarm employment increased by 90 jobs or 0.2 percent. Private-sector over-the-year gains of 230 were seen in leisure and hospitality, 200 in private education and health services, and 170 in the other services category. There were relatively large losses of 240 in retail trade, 150 in manufacturing and 140 in business and professional services.

Fields said government gained 160 jobs over the year from gains of 190 in local government that were countered by losses of 20 in state government and 10 in federal government.

Douglas County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.5 percent in August when compared with a revised 4.6 percent in July. The rate is down from 5.5 percent in August 2022. Douglas County’s record low unemployment rate was set in November 2019 at 4.3 percent. The Oregon seasonally adjusted August rate was 3.4 percent while the U.S. rate was 3.8 percent.