Central Oregon Economic Indicators—August 2024

Economy in Central Oregon

By Andrew Grimoldby | Workforce Analyst/Economist, East Cascades Oregon Employment Department

August in View:

The nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased slightly from 4.3% in July to 4.2% in August, and at the statewide level, the unemployment rate decreased from 4.1% to 4.0%.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rates in the counties of Central Oregon have all increased since August of last year. Crook County increased from 5.7% to 5.8%, Deschutes County increased from 3.7% to 4.0%, and Jefferson County increased from 4.6% to 4.7%.

Topic of the Month: Change in Number of Farms and Hired Farm Labor by County, 2017-2022

The Census of Agriculture, performed every five years by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It includes every farm where $1,000 or more of products were raised or sold during the census year. As the only source of uniform, comprehensive, and impartial agriculture data at the county level, the Census of Agriculture provides a unique window into the agricultural landscape of Central Oregon.

Between 2017 and 2022, the total number of farm laborers decreased by 449 (20.2%), while the number of farms decreased by 25 (4.5%). Deschutes County added the most workers with a gain of 144 (17.6%), Jefferson lost the most workers with a loss of 484 (49.8%).

During this time, the total farm acreage in Central Oregon decreased by 199,176 acres. Jefferson County’s farm acreage decreased by 250,576 (31.6%) acres. In Deschutes County, there was an increase of 18,400 (13.7%) acres. Despite there being a loss of farm labor in Crook County, the overall acreage dedicated to farmland increased by 33,000 (4.1%).