Central Oregon Economic Indicators September 2023

Published on Nov 16, 2023

Economy in Central Oregon

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

Over the last 12 months ending in September, Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 1.9%, adding 36,700 jobs. In Central Oregon, total nonfarm payroll employment was up by 1,700 jobs over the year.

Jefferson County saw employment increase by 260 jobs year-over-year, while Crook County saw total nonfarm payroll employment decrease by 260 during this time. Finally, Deschutes County employment increased by 1,700 jobs year-over-year.

After almost half a year of declines, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 3.4% in August to 3.5% in September. In comparison, the nation’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.8% in September.

In Central Oregon, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates increased in the counties of Crook and Jefferson and decreased in Deschutes County. In Crook County, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate went from 5.4% in August to 5.5% in September, while in Jefferson County, it went from 4.4% in August to 4.5% in September. In contrast, Deschutes County’s unemployment rate went from 3.7% in August to 3.6% in September.

Topic of the Month: Help Wanted Online Ads

The Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) data series, by The Conference Board-Burning Glass, keeps track of the number of unique online ads over time and can be used as a proxy for measuring trends in labor demand.

According to this data, unique ads in Central Oregon remain well above pre-pandemic levels, indicating demand for workers is still strong. Compared to a year earlier, unique help wanted online ads have decreased but remain elevated. After falling to pre-pandemic lows in December 2022, unique ads began to trend upward, reaching a new high of 2,369 unique ads in July 2023, but have since been on the decline. For more information on your area, download the attached PDF or click here.