Central Oregon Economic Indicators–February 2026

By Anastasia Casteel, Workforce Analyst, Oregon Employment Department

Central Oregon Economy in View

In December 2025, Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment shrunk -0.5%, losing 9,200 jobs since December 2024. During that same 12-month period, the Bend MSA (consisting of Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties) lost 160 jobs, a -0.1% change.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Oregon held at 5.2% in December 2025, up from 4.3% in December 2024. Oregon’s unemployment rate remains higher than the U.S.’s unemployment rate of 4.4%. All counties in the Bend MSA experienced increased year-over-year unemployment.

Find more about the Central Oregon economy here.

Topic of the Month: Hiring Among Oregon’s Private Employers Declines

Each quarter, the Oregon Employment Department surveys private employers from all industries and areas of the state to ask about the vacancies they are actively trying to fill. In the fall 2025 survey, Oregon businesses reported 46,300 vacancies, the lowest quarterly total since spring 2020. Vacancies fell by 14% from the summer and decreased 7% from fall 2024, continuing a broader slowdown from the elevated hiring levels of the post-pandemic period. In November 2025, there were 109,000 unemployed Oregonians and 43,600 vacancies, leaving roughly 2.4 jobseekers for every job opening.

Most Oregon openings in fall 2025 were full-time and permanent positions, with education beyond high school required for 32% of the vacancies. Employers reported 47% of vacancies in fall 2025 as difficult to fill. This is the first quarter since spring 2020 that less than 50% of vacancies were considered difficult to fill. The healthcare and social assistance industry accounted for the largest share of vacancies, representing 31% of all vacancies in the fall 2025 quarter.

More information on the fall 2025 quarterly Job Vacancy Survey can be found at https://www.qualityinfo.org.

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Articles of Interest

“Job Losses and Rising Unemployment: 2025 in Review,” by Gail Krumenauer, Oregon Employment Department.

“Psilocybin Services: Oregon’s Newest Industry Continues Sprouting Up,” Guy Tauer, Oregon Employment Department.

“Business Formation and Business Employment Dynamics in Oregon,” by Andrew Grimoldby, Oregon Employment Department.