Douglas County Economic Indicators - July 2026
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The July 2026 Douglas County Economic Indicators are out now. You can find them attached and updated every month on our Quality Info Southwestern Oregon regional info page.
Douglas County’s nonfarm employment declined by 2% (-560 jobs) over the year to June. Several industries lost employment, with the largest losses in construction (-80), retail trade (-110) and manufacturing (-290). Private education and health services added a moderate number of jobs (80 jobs, +1%).
Unemployment was stable over the year. The current seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.2%, essentially unchanged from the year before.
Graph of the Month: Manufacturing has lost jobs over the year in Douglas County, but food and beverage manufacturing is typically subject to different economic pressures than other subsectors. In the last two recessions food and beverage manufacturing has been an engine of job growth, even when other types of manufacturing have struggled.
If you look at the long-term trend of employment in manufacturing in Douglas County, you’ll see what that looks like. The difference during the 2008 recession, which devastated manufacturing overall, is particularly evident.
In Douglas County food manufacturing and beverage manufacturing are on different trajectories in recent years. Food manufacturing employment is near its peak in Douglas, with the more seasonal beverage manufacturing a bit further off of its maximum.
Some other great reads from around the state this month:
Oregon’s Food Manufacturing Industry – Adding Value on Quality Info
Succession Plans: Low Growth Industries with Lots of Job Openings on Quality Info
Made in Oregon: A Profile of the State’s Manufacturing Sector on Quality Info
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
Regional Economist
Serving Lane and Douglas counties
Oregon Employment Department
(541) 359-9178
