Unemployment

Oregon's unemployment rate continues to fall. The state has regained nearly three quarters of the jobs it lost during the pandemic's roughest days.

Multiple federal programs are sunsetting Sept. 4, cutting benefits to tens of thousands in Oregon

The agency took shortcuts. Some staff say they compromised the rights of employers.

The state unemployment rate improved to 5.6%, while the national rate crept up a hair to 5.9%.

Rules that people receiving unemployment had to be able, available and actively seeking work were waived for much of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those rules are coming back.

Governor Kate Brown is expected to sign House Bill 3178.

Oregon lawmakers tried to make it easier for people to keep full unemployment benefits while working part-time. Now, they're trying again.

SB 172 would allow the Oregon Employment Department to waive benefit overpayments that result from people's honest mistakes.

Oregon officials continue to refuse to publicly disclose how much money the state has lost to unemployment insurance fraud during the pandemic, despite the fact that neighboring states Washington and California have reported huge sums of money wrongly paid after their systems were targeted by sophisticated hackers.

Women have been returning to Oregon's labor force. And restaurants, gyms and hotels are hiring again.