Douglas County payroll employers shed some jobs in June, but the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 6.4%, compared with a revised 6.5% in May. The rate is down from 9.2% in June 2020.
The county’s payroll employers dropped a seasonally adjusted 190 jobs in June after a loss of 40 in May and a loss of 160 in April.
The county has gained back 52% of the jobs lost in March and April 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.
In the private-sector industries in June, there were gains in leisure and hospitality (70 jobs), construction (50), and retail trade (50). There was a loss of 30 jobs in private education and health services. Government dropped 10 jobs from a loss of 70 jobs in local government, which was countered by a gain of 30 jobs each in the federal and state government sectors.
When comparing June 2021 with June 2020, total nonfarm employment is up 380 jobs, or 10.2%. Large over-the-year gains were seen in local government (220), wholesale trade (150), private education and health services (150), and construction (120).
Those were countered somewhat by a loss of 250 jobs in leisure and hospitality.
The Oregon unemployment rate for June was 5.6%, and the U.S. rate was 5.9% in June. The next batch of data on state unemployment is scheduled to be released Aug. 17.
Scott Carroll can be reached at [email protected] or 541-957-4204. Or follow him on Twitter @scottcarroll15.
