A graph showing Oregon’s unemployment rate through the years. (Courtesy/Oregon Employment Department)
April was the first time in a year that Oregon’s unemployment rate didn’t improve from the previous month’s, the state’s Employment Department said Tuesday.
The state’s unemployment rate remained stuck at 6% in April after adding 2,200 nonfarm jobs. That follows 19,600 jobs added in March, according to the department’s revised numbers.
Most of the jobs added back were in restaurants and bars as well as government jobs from schools reopening for in-person service.
Since the pandemic began, Oregon has added back 59% of jobs lost in the spring of 2020. For the U.S., that number is 63%.
A year ago, nine out of 10 layoffs were temporary. But April was the first time since the pandemic began that permanent layoffs made up the largest share of unemployed Oregonians.
-Jake Thomas
