Oregon’s Employment Declines in September, Oct. 14

Oregon’s payroll employment dropped by 5,300 jobs in September, following a revised gain of 3,500 in August. This was the first decline in 36 months, dating back to September 2012 when employment dropped by 1,100. The loss of more than 5,000 jobs in a single month is a rare occurrence during the last six years. The September jobs report indicates that Oregon’s over-the-year job growth, while strong, has slowed. Between September 2014 and September 2015, payroll employment expanded by 49,500 jobs, or 2.9 percent. This is a reduction from the 3.5 percent job-growth rate seen through August.