Employment Dept. release. As Coos County’s unemployment rates reach record lows, other statistics are also showing steady improvement. The civilian labor force, after plummeting from its 2006 peak (28,615, annual average) to the depths in 2015 (25,947), is showing noticeable growth. The recently released 2017 annual labor force data reveal that last year’s civilian labor force averaged 26,645 – these are people working or actively seeking employment. The number of people unemployed averaged 1,471 in 2017, substantially less than the recessionary peak of unemployed that soared to 3,722 in 2009. The number of employed individuals peaked in 2008 at 25,771; dropped to 23,690 in 2013 and then climbed to 25,174 (2017). Employment in Coos County Provides Many Opportunities – So, where do Coos County workers find employment? Currently, the largest employing sector is government (20.2%). Within government, federal employment accounts for 5.4 percent; state for 18.1 percent; and local government for 76.5 percent. Local government has a substantial presence in health care and social assistance (29.5%), and in education (30.1%). Other major industries include trade, transportation, and utilities (19.0%; of which, 70.3% is retail trade); private education and health services (12.0%; nearly all jobs are in health care and social assistance); leisure and hospitality (11.4%); and professional and business services (8.5%). Manufacturing (7.6%), a much-valued source of good-paying jobs, continues a long-term trend of overall declining employment – attributable to improved technologies and overall economic changes.
