Oregon’s Labor Market Largely Unchanged in May, June 15

Oregon’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent in May, the same rate as in the prior two months. This kept the state’s rate close to the national level, as the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in May and 5.0 percent in April. Oregon’s tight labor market is reflected in low numbers of long-term unemployed. Only about 10,000 Oregonians had been unemployed six months or more in May. This was far less than the more than 100,000 people in this situation during the wake of the Great Recession. About 28,000 Oregonians were unemployed due to a job loss in May. In contrast, during the worst of the recession, more than 140,000 Oregonians were unemployed due to a job loss. Other reasons people are unemployed include those who have voluntarily quit their jobs and those entering the labor market.