August Marks 50 Consecutive Months of Job Growth in Oregon

Oregon’s payroll employment grew for the 50th consecutive month as employers added 4,600 jobs in August, after a revised gain of 5,000 in July. Since June 2012, Oregon’s economy expanded rapidly, adding 208,200 jobs—an average gain of 4,200 jobs per month. Oregon hasn’t seen such a long string of monthly job gains since comparable records began in 1990. Nationally, August was the 71st straight month of job growth.

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in August, an increase from July’s rate of 5.2 percent. The rate has risen from a record low of 4.5 percent in the three months of March, April and May. Oregon’s labor force, which reached a record high of 2,065,000 in August, has grown rapidly in recent months as the number of people employed increased along with growth in the number of unemployed. Oregon’s unemployment rate remained close to the U.S. unemployment rate, which was unchanged at 4.9 percent in August.

Watch Nick Beleiciks discuss Oregon's employment situation:

Read the Oregon Employment Department's full release.