Oregon added more than 20,000 jobs in March
Signs in the window of Brown’s Towne Restaurant and Lounge. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
Oregon’s unemployment rate decreased slightly from 6.1% in February to 6% in March.
According to the Oregon Employment Department, which released the numbers Tuesday, the state’s unemployment rate inched downward by a tenth of a percentage point each month for the last three months.
Oregon’s unemployment rate followed the U.S. employment rate, which dropped to 6% in March from February’s 6.2%.
In March, Oregon added 20,100 nonfarm jobs, according to the department. Two-thirds of those jobs were in leisure and hospitality, which has been particularly affected by pandemic restrictions. The employment increase in March was Oregon’s largest monthly increase since 38,300 jobs were added in July.
-Jake Thomas
