Oregon adds 5,800 jobs in September, but annual growth is 0.1%

Oregon added 5,800 seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll jobs in September, but the state’s payroll employment was up only 2,600 jobs, or 0.1%, from a year earlier, according to the Oregon Employment Department. The monthly increase followed a revised gain of 2,600 jobs in August.

The figures pair a strong one-month increase with nearly flat annual growth. They do not, by themselves, show whether September’s gain will continue. The department reported the September figures on Oct. 14.

Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5.0% in September from 5.1% in August. The U.S. rate was 4.2%. Unemployment and payroll employment are separate measures: payroll estimates are based on a business survey, while unemployment estimates use a household survey and other sources.

Construction leads monthly industry gains

Construction had the largest reported seasonally adjusted industry increase in September. Health care and social assistance and leisure and hospitality also added jobs. Retail trade had the largest reported decline.

The construction increase stands out against the industry’s usual September pattern. The department’s seasonal comparison shows that construction employment typically declines by about 1,800 jobs that month. This September, the unadjusted count instead rose by 200; after seasonal adjustment, the reported increase was 2,000.

Oregon Employment Department economist Gail Krumenauer told KLCC that unusually pleasant weather extending into fall can sometimes prolong construction activity beyond seasonal expectations. She described a possible explanation, not evidence that weather caused the September gain.

Year-over-year gains and losses varied by industry

The department’s seasonally adjusted year-over-year narrative identifies health care and social assistance as the largest gainer, with 12,100 more jobs than in September 2025, an increase of 3.8%. Manufacturing employment fell by 4,300 jobs, or 2.4%, and government employment declined by 4,000, or 1.3%, over the same period. Those differences show that the small net annual increase came alongside divergent industry results.

September’s payroll estimate is preliminary. The department revises payroll estimates quarterly using employer unemployment-insurance tax records; this release incorporated records for January through March 2026. The unemployment rate and payroll totals come from different measures, so the monthly change in one should not be read as a direct explanation of the other.

The department scheduled September county and metropolitan-area unemployment and jobs figures for Oct. 20, followed by statewide October data on Nov. 18. The upcoming local figures will add geographic detail to the statewide September snapshot; the October statewide release will provide the next monthly update.