Central Oregon Economic Indicators April 2023

Published on Jun 15, 2023

Economy in Central Oregon

By Nicole Ramos | Regional Economist, East Cascades | Oregon Employment Department

In April, Central Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 1,620 jobs year-over-year, with employment gains taking place in the counties of Deschutes (+1,380 jobs) and Crook (+260 jobs). Jefferson County had a slight decrease over the year (-20).

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Oregon continued to decline in April to 4.0%. The U.S.’s unemployment rate also declined during the month of April to 3.4%. Similarly, seasonally adjusted unemployment rates continued to fall throughout Central Oregon. Crook County had the highest unemployment rate at 5.7%, down from a revised rate of 6.0% in March, whereas Deschutes County had the smallest unemployment rate at 4.1%, down from a revised rate of 4.4% in March. Jefferson County’s unemployment rate is 5.1%.

Topic of the Month: 2022 Annual Average Wage by Industry

In 2022, the average annual wage for all industries in Deschutes County was $60,430. The industry with the highest annual average wage was the information industry, paying an average wage of $109,173. This industry includes telecommunications and publishing firms, data processing firms, and broadcasting and content providers.

The financial activities industry had the second highest annual average wage ($80,360) and paid approximately $29,000 less than the information industry, while the industry with the third highest annual average wage was the professional and business services industry ($76,357).

Similar to the state, in 2022, the industry with the lowest annual average wage was the leisure and hospitality industry. Statewide, the industry paid an annual average wage of $28,852. Comparatively, the Deschutes County leisure and hospitality industry paid an annual average wage of $30,539.