Oregon’s Unemployment Rate Reaches Record Low 3.6 Percent in May. Oregon’s unemployment rate edged down to 3.6 percent in May from 3.7 percent in April, reaching a new record low since comparable records began in 1976. Oregon’s rate was significantly below its year-ago rate of 5.0 percent in May 2016. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in May 2017. As unemployment edged down, the labor force hit a record high. For the first time, in May, Oregon’s labor force rose above 2.1 million. The labor force grew by 40,000 in the first five months of this year.
