Oregon Continues Strong Job Growth in October, Nov. 16

Oregon added 6,100 nonfarm payroll jobs in October, continuing a trend of strong job growth. Since October 2015, Oregon added 55,400 jobs, which was a gain of 3.1 percent. This growth rate is nearly double the national job growth rate of 1.7 percent over that period. Oregon’s September nonfarm payrolls were revised upward by 1,900 jobs to a new reading of a gain of 4,300 jobs.  In October, Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, essentially unchanged from 5.5 percent in September. The unemployment rate was close to its year-ago figure of 5.6 percent in October 2015. Oregon’s labor force continued to grow in October, bringing the labor force participation rate up to 63.3 percent, from 61.3 percent in October 2015.