Oregon’s unemployment rate continues to fall.
The seasonally adjusted ratefell to 4.2 percent in November. That’s not quite as low as it was pre-pandemic, but it’s the same rate as it was in early 2019.
Oregon Employment Department economist Gail Krumenauer said the state’s pandemic recovery, as it relates to the workforce, closely mirrors the nation's recovery as a whole.
“As of November, we have regained four out of five jobs that were lost in the spring of 2020," she said. "That’s about the same as the U.S. And at 4.2%, Oregon’s unemployment rate in November was also the same as the U.S.”
The strongest job gains in November were in leisure and hospitality, as well as construction. According to the Employment Department, the number of Oregonians employed in the construction industry is now at an all-time high.