Douglas County Economic Indicators - December 2023
The December 2023 edition of the Douglas County Economic Indicators is also available on Quality Info.
Job growth was slow but positive over the 12 months to November 2023. Financial activities and health care added jobs at the fastest rate, while retail and manufacturing jobs each declined. The unemployment rate was 4.5%, a 1.5 percentage point decrease from the year before.
The Employment Department just released its newest 10-year job projections for Oregon and its regions, so for the graph this month I’m looking at what those numbers have to say in Southwestern Oregon.
Industry growth in Southwestern Oregon is projected to be slower than statewide, particularly in information and professional and business services. Across the state, job growth is not projected to be as rapid as it was during last year’s projections release, but that has more to do with the fact that much of the jobs recovery from the 2020 pandemic recession is behind us.
For a statewide look at highlights, see this article on 10-year job projections from Projections Economist Sarah Cunningham or dig into the local data for yourself.
This month’s articles included:
Douglas County’s Per Capita Personal Income Decreased in 2022 on Quality Info
Diversity in the Health Care Workforce on Quality Info
2023 Oregon Population, Census Edition on Oregon Office of Economic Analysis blog
As always, the Indicators contain all the latest economic data on our area. If you have a data question or want to learn more about any of these topics, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Henry L. Fields
Workforce Analyst/Economist
Oregon Employment Department
(541) 359-9178
