Oregon Jobless Rate Tops 5%, Rising to Third Highest Nationally as AI Pivot Fuels Layoffs
Updated
Updated · OregonLive · Aug 9
Oregon Jobless Rate Tops 5%, Rising to Third Highest Nationally as AI Pivot Fuels Layoffs
2 articles · Updated · OregonLive · Aug 9
Summary
Oregon’s unemployment rate has held a little above 5% for about a year, leaving the state with the nation’s მესამე-highest jobless rate after rising faster than most of the country over the past three years.
2024 and 2025 layoffs at Intel, Nike and Oregon Health & Science University cut several thousand jobs, while smaller employers also retrenched and construction and manufacturing stayed weak.
Job cuts have slowed in 2026, but hiring has not recovered: Oregon has posted year-over-year job losses every month since January.
Multnomah County illustrates the depth of the slump, with employment still nearly 7% below its 2019 peak.
California, Washington and Nevada also have unemployment above 5%, reflecting a broader West Coast drag as tech companies redirect spending toward AI after post-pandemic hiring surges.