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Oregon's unemployed outnumber job openings by 2 to 1
Business
Oregon’s unemployed outnumber job openings by 2 to 1
Published: Feb. 08, 2026, 7:02 a.m.
By Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The number of open jobs in Oregon declined last fall to the lowest number in more than five years, another discouraging signal from the state’s declining labor market. ... Oregon employers had just 46,000 job openings last fall, according to new state figures, the fewest since the pandemic. At the same time, Oregon unemployment has risen to its highest level since the pandemic — 5.2%.
The result is that Oregon now has 2.4 unemployed people for each vacant job, according to Anna Johnson of the Oregon Employment Department. That’s a far worse ratio than the U.S. as a whole. Nationally, the number of unemployed is only slightly higher than the number of open jobs.
Oregon’s imbalance reflects steady deterioration in the state’s economy. Employment fell by 0.2% in 2025, the only time that’s happened without a national recession since at least 1990.
Unemployment climbed to 5.2%, its highest level since the pandemic, amid a historic surge of layoffs. Factories shed the most jobs last year amid a prolonged downturn in Oregon’s manufacturing sector, driven by Intel’s mass layoffs and cuts at many other large employers.
{snip}
Oregon’s unemployed outnumber job openings by 2 to 1
Published: Feb. 08, 2026, 7:02 a.m.
By Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The number of open jobs in Oregon declined last fall to the lowest number in more than five years, another discouraging signal from the state’s declining labor market. ... Oregon employers had just 46,000 job openings last fall, according to new state figures, the fewest since the pandemic. At the same time, Oregon unemployment has risen to its highest level since the pandemic — 5.2%.
The result is that Oregon now has 2.4 unemployed people for each vacant job, according to Anna Johnson of the Oregon Employment Department. That’s a far worse ratio than the U.S. as a whole. Nationally, the number of unemployed is only slightly higher than the number of open jobs.
Oregon’s imbalance reflects steady deterioration in the state’s economy. Employment fell by 0.2% in 2025, the only time that’s happened without a national recession since at least 1990.
Unemployment climbed to 5.2%, its highest level since the pandemic, amid a historic surge of layoffs. Factories shed the most jobs last year amid a prolonged downturn in Oregon’s manufacturing sector, driven by Intel’s mass layoffs and cuts at many other large employers.
{snip}
