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# Oregon Jobless Rate Edges to 5.1% as Payrolls Slip
- URL: https://www.theamericanquorum.com/state-news-oregon-2026-09-19-b/
- Published: 2026-09-19T09:40:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T09:40:05.000Z
- Description: Oregon’s unemployment rate edged down to 5.1% in August as the labor force grew, but estimated payrolls slipped by 800. The workforce remained smaller than it was a year earlier.
- Author: News Desk
- Tags: State News, Oregon

Oregon's unemployment rate edged down to 5.1% in August as the labor force grew and the number of unemployed residents declined, according to federal data released Friday. The rate remained one percentage point above the national 4.1% figure, while statewide payroll employment slipped by an estimated 800 jobs during the month.

The household-based figures show a modest improvement after the jobless rate held at 5.2% in June and July. Oregon's [seasonally adjusted labor force increased by 3,675 people](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t01.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) in August to 2,208,273\. The number counted as unemployed fell by 1,111 to 112,968, producing the lower rate.

The change was not large enough for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to classify Oregon's monthly rate movement as statistically significant. Nationally, the agency identified eight states and the District of Columbia with significant decreases. Oregon instead remained among six states and the District whose unemployment rates were significantly above the U.S. rate.

The year-over-year comparison is also mixed. Oregon's unemployment rate was 5.3% in August 2025, compared with 5.1% this year, but the civilian labor force was 11,465 people smaller. The number of unemployed residents declined by 4,651 over that period. A lower jobless rate therefore reflects fewer unemployed people, but it does not erase the contraction in the overall pool of people working or actively seeking work.

The separate employer survey estimated [1,964,700 nonfarm payroll jobs](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) in August, down 800 from July and 16,100 from a year earlier. Neither change was statistically significant under the federal release's threshold, meaning the figures are best read as estimates of direction rather than proof of a broad statewide employment decline.

Industry results help explain the uneven total. Construction added an estimated 700 jobs during August to reach 113,700, while manufacturing added 300 to 173,500\. Trade, transportation and utilities increased by 300 to 351,600\. Professional and business services lost 1,100 jobs during the month and stood at 247,000, down 5,400 from August 2025.

Oregon's education and health services sector was nearly unchanged at 359,700 jobs and remained 8,200 above its year-earlier level. Leisure and hospitality declined by 300 during August to 203,400 and was 3,400 below August 2025\. Government employment fell by 400 during the month to 311,300, leaving it 6,400 below the prior-year estimate.

The [federal summary](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.nr0.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) cautions that the two surveys measure different populations. Household data count people by where they live, while payroll data count jobs where establishments operate; a worker holding two jobs may appear twice in the payroll series. The [technical note](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.tn.htm?ref=theamericanquorum.com) also says current estimates are preliminary and subject to sampling and nonsampling error.

For Oregon, August points to gradual improvement in unemployment alongside softer payroll estimates and a labor force that remains smaller than a year ago. September state figures are scheduled for release October 20.