Unemployment in Lane County ticked up over the past year, according to the April report from the Oregon Employment Department.
The April 2025 number reached 3.9%. That number was 3.7% in April 2024.
The number of jobs shrank slightly year-to-year, dropping 600 jobs to reach 165,200.
The losses all came from the private sector. Non–government employment in the area went down by 1,500 from April 2024. Public sector hiring, primarily at the local level, offset much of those losses though.
The economist who oversees the production of this and other county-level employment reports in the area said most industries have seen little growth in the past year, and some have lost jobs.
“Two that stand out, though, as positive industries are Healthcare and Private Education–and that’s mostly health services–and also Local Education has grown over the year,” said Brian Rooney, Regional Labor Economist for ODE. “Those two industries are pretty much supporting employment in Lane County right now.”
Government employment in Lane County grew by 900 jobs, 600 of which came in Local Education. Rooney noted that that sector encompasses more than K-12 education, it also includes hiring done by public colleges and universities in the area.
