The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in August was about the same as it was the month before among Central Oregon’s three counties and just marginally higher than a year ago, according to the Oregon Employment Department.

In Deschutes County, the unemployment rate dropped a fraction to 4% in August compared to July, and is just a half a point above the lowest unemployment rates ever in the county set at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, according to the monthly jobs report.

The county reported a loss of 170 jobs from July to August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most of those losses were in the leisure and hospitality sector, when comparing the number of jobs in August to July. Job gains were seen in the education and health services sector, according to the report.

In all there are about 95,650 jobs in Deschutes County, a 0.6% decrease from August 2023, according to the report. Job losses over the year were recorded in the leisure and hospitality sector and trade, and transportation and utilities.

In Jefferson County, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged in August from the month before at 4.7% For comparison, the unemployment rate in August 2023 was 4.6%, according to the report.

About 40 jobs were shed in August with losses occurring in local government and manufacturing industries, according to the report. In all there were 6,590 jobs in the county, according to the report.

In Crook County, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased a tad to 5.8% in August, compared to the 6% in July. In August of 2023, the unemployment rate for the county was 5.7%, according to the report.

Job losses were canceled out by job gains in August in the county, according to the report. While more jobs were added, an equal amount in the leisure and hospitality sector and education and health services lost jobs, according to the report.