Unemployment rates in April declined in all three Central Oregon counties, according to numbers reported Tuesday by the Oregon Employment Department.

In Crook County, which has had the highest unemployment rate in the state since the recession hit in 2008, the April rate of 15.3 percent is down 0.4 percentage points from 15.7 percent for the revised March rate, according to information provided by Carolyn Eagan, regional economist with the WorkSource Oregon in Bend.

By comparison, when the recession hit in January 2008, unemployment rates were as low as 7.8 percent in Crook County, 6.2 percent in Deschutes County and 7.9 percent in Jefferson County.

Despite the lower rate in April, Crook County continues to have the highest unemployment rate in the state, according to the state report.

While seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are down and all three counties added jobs in April, Eagan said the total nonfarm job counts are still down compared with April 2010, which she said earlier is due to a variety of factors, including people who formerly worked in industries hit hardest by the recession, such as construction, who may have left the area to find work, or are still living in Central Oregon but working outside the area.

Deschutes County’s April unemployment rate of 12.2 percent reflects a drop of 0.4 percentage points from 12.6 percent in March; and Jefferson County’s April unemployment rate of 12.3 percent is down 0.5 percentage points from 12.8 percent in March, according to Eagan.

The April 2011 rates represent significant improvement from a year ago, when, Eagan said, Crook County’s unemployment was 17 percent, Deschutes County unemployment was 14.4 percent and Jefferson County’s rate was 13.8.

Eagan said the unemployment rates in all three counties have been on a downward trend since October 2010, with the exception of a temporary uptick in Crook County in December.

Crook County gained 10 jobs from March to April in five private-sector industries, including leisure and hospitality; mining and logging; other services; transportation, warehousing and utilities; and wood products, Eagan said.

The federal government also added 10 jobs in Crook County in April, according to Tuesday’s unemployment report.

While the multimonth trend of job gains and declining unemployment suggests a stabilizing economy, Eagan said Crook County’s total number of nonfarm jobs is still down 340 compared with April 2010.

“The largest private-sector losses over the year occurred in wood products manufacturing,” which Eagan said shed 50 jobs in Crook County over the past year.

“The government lost 140 jobs over the last year, with half of those jobs lost in local government,” Eagan said.

Deschutes County added 630 jobs in April, but Eagan said that figure is about 100 fewer than the 730 jobs typically added this time of year, when seasonal employment usually kicks in.

“It was a very cold April, which slowed spring/summer seasonal hiring in some industries,” Eagan said.

Nevertheless, she said nearly every private-sector industry in Deschutes County reported job gains in April, including a gain of more than 300 jobs in leisure and hospitality; 110 in mining, logging and construction; 90 in professional and business services; and 60 in education and health services.

Despite those job gains from March to April, Deschutes County’s total job numbers for April 2011 continue to lag about 650 behind April 2010, Eagan said. Of that total job loss, she said the bulk is in mining, logging and construction, which reported 590 fewer jobs last month compared with April 2010.

Jefferson County added 70 jobs from March to April, which Eagan said is more than expected this time of year.

Industries adding jobs in Jefferson County in April included leisure and hospitality, which added 20 jobs, other services added 20 jobs, and retail trade, wholesale trade and wood products manufacturing each added 10 jobs.

Government also added 10 jobs in Jefferson County in April, according to the report.

As with the other Central Oregon counties, however, Jefferson County’s year-over-year job numbers are still down, with 140 fewer jobs compared with April 2010. Of that number, the private sector has 90 fewer jobs and the public sector is down 50 jobs, according to the report.