Oregon is struggling with unemployment, with the last week of May’s claims 9.19% higher than the week before and 33.87% higher than last year, according to WalletHub’s updated rankings for the States Where Unemployment Claims Are Increasing the Most.
Unemployment Situation in Oregon (1=Worst; 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank for Oregon: 8th
- 12th — Unemployment Claims Increase vs. Previous Week
- 4th — Unemployment Claims Increase vs. Same Week Last Year
- 37th — Cumulative Unemployment Claims in 2025 vs. Same Period Last Year
- 6th — Unemployment Claims per 100,000 People in Labor Force
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit: wallethub.com/edu/states-unemployment-claims/72730.
Key takeaways and WalletHub commentary are included below in text and video format. Feel free to use the provided content as is or edit the raw files as you see fit.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like to arrange a phone, video or in-studio interview with one of WalletHub’s experts.
Expert Commentary
Do you think the hiring dynamic is currently tilted in favor of employees or employers?
“The unemployment rate as well as layoff and new hire dynamics have been fairly steady recently. In historical comparison, the US labor market is currently tighter and titled more in favor of employees than during most periods.”
David J. Kuenzel – Associate Professor, Wesleyan University
“Hiring has definitely shifted in favor of employers. Job openings have been declining for several years, and some industries, such as technology-related jobs have slowed dramatically as generative AI has upended those labor markets. More firms are having success at encouraging or forcing less work-from-home arrangements and more in-office presence. The quits rate is the lowest we have seen in almost 10 years, suggesting workers are much less comfortable leaving their current jobs to search for new ones. Finally, wage growth has continued to moderate, consistent with employers’ upper hand in the labor market.”
Aaron L. Jackson, Ph.D. – Senior Associate Dean of Business; Professor, Bentley University
With inflation still significant, what is your advice for people looking to protect their finances?
“To remedy the effects of inflation, people should make sure to invest any available cash in high-yield saving accounts, which can at least remedy or even outperform the effects of inflation. Moreover, if inflation persists, people should consider moving up big-item purchases. For instance, with the rise in tariffs, car prices will likely go up substantially in the near future. Buying a car now could be a better decision than waiting one year.”
David J. Kuenzel – Associate Professor, Wesleyan University
“The last few months have seen dramatic changes in the economic landscape, and although inflation has come down, it still remains elevated. Going forward, there is a wide range of paths the economy could take, anywhere from resumption of growth and more moderation in inflation, to stagflation. Under this uncertainty, the best path for most is to be prudent with spending, and for those looking to protect savings, having liquid assets that help protect against inflation, such as CDs is probably a safe move.”
Aaron L. Jackson, Ph.D. – Senior Associate Dean of Business; Professor, Bentley University
What are your predictions for the job market as we move forward during 2025 (job gains, hiring confidence, quit rates etc.)?
“My best prediction is that things will hold fairly steady for the rest of 2025 unless there is an unexpected shock to the economy.”
David J. Kuenzel – Associate Professor, Wesleyan University
“The uncertainty in economic policy and consequent volatility over the last few months, along with dislocations from the job market (for instance, government sector layoffs) will likely bring some economic softness and higher unemployment as we move later into the year. The extent to which this could spill over into a full-blown recession remains unclear. Some fundamentals in the economy are still sound, and the stock market has largely rebounded from earlier losses. And changes to the tax code have the potential to provide some tailwinds. The extent to which all of these factors move in one direction or another are quite unknown at this time, so there is really a wide path of potential outcomes for the economy and labor market.”
Aaron L. Jackson, Ph.D. – Senior Associate Dean of Business; Professor, Bentley University
