Total payroll employment in Jackson County rose by 460 jobs in May due to seasonal gains in the leisure & hospitality industry.
According to the Oregon Employment Department, there were 100,724 people working in Jackson County last month for a seasonally adjusted jobless rate of 5.2%, which was up slightly from the 5.1% mark posted in April.
Leisure & hospitality posted the largest increase with 410 new jobs in May. Small employment gains were estimated in private education & health services, professional & business services and transportation, warehousing & utilities.
Government employment climbed by 20 jobs, with state and local government each adding 10. Job totals fell over the month in retail trade and manufacturing.
Over the past year, payroll employment in Jackson County climbed by 420 jobs, or 0.5%. By comparison, Josephine County lost 630 jobs over the last 12 months.
Since May 2024, Jackson County industries adding jobs were private education & health services (+750), leisure & hospitality (+220) and professional & business services (+80). Industries shedding jobs were manufacturing, wholesale trade and financial activities.
Government employment in Jackson County slipped by 270 jobs over the year. Local government education was down by 370 jobs while state government employment rose by 90. Federal government employment fell by 30 since 2024.
