March 27, 2025
Oregon Jobs and Labor Force – February 2025 Update
Oregon’s Labor Market Signals Stability, but Sectoral Unevenness Persists
Oregon’s job market entered 2025 on steady footing. While total nonfarm employment was essentially unchanged in February, labor force participation remained elevated at 62.7%—1.6 percentage points above its pre-pandemic level—indicating that Oregonians continue to actively seek and engage in work.
But the overall stability masks sharp divergences across sectors. Construction employment dropped by 2,200 jobs in February—the largest single-month decline in since April 2020. Manufacturing, which had been steadily losing ground, posted a modest gain of 600 jobs. Professional and business services and information continued to expand, while local government hiring added further stability. Meanwhile, the state’s unemployment rate rose to 4.5%, the highest since mid-2021.
Key Highlights—Oregon February 2025 Employment Data
Industry-Level Dynamics
The modest net decline in payroll employment conceals significant sectoral shifts:
- The construction sector experienced the largest absolute decline, with a loss of 2,196 jobs, offsetting a substantial portion of recent gains.
- Financial activities continued a downward trend, contracting by 698 jobs, while education and health services also declined by 500 positions.
- Conversely, professional and business services posted strong growth, adding 1,697 jobs, indicating robust demand for professional, technical, and administrative services.
- The information sector gained 704 jobs.
- Manufacturing showed positive momentum with a gain of 600 jobs, a reversal after a period of sustained job losses.
- The government sector recorded a net gain of 500 jobs, driven entirely by local government hiring (+600). Federal employment declined by 100, and state-level employment remained flat.
- Other modest gains were observed in leisure and hospitality (+100).
Since the onset of the pandemic:
- Total nonfarm employment in Oregon has increased by 32,400 jobs.
- However, five of eleven super-sectors remain below their February 2020 employment levels: mining and logging, manufacturing, information, leisure and hospitality, financial activities.
Notably: