Total payroll employment in the Medford Metropolitan Statistical Area (Jackson County) fell by 1,310 jobs in January with a drop of 660 in retail trade accounting for one-half of the month’s losses.
Other industries with estimated job declines included professional and business services (-170); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-130); leisure and hospitality (-80); private education and health services (-80); and construction (-60). Declines were also posted in manufacturing (-50), and in wholesale trade (-40). Government employment slipped by 30 over the month with a loss of 40 jobs in local government education accounting for most of the loss.
Over the past year payroll employment in the Medford MSA (Jackson County gained 2,270 jobs, an increase of 2.6%.
Jackson County is now 650 jobs below the January 2020 pre-pandemic total. Since January 2022, industries adding jobs included leisure and hospitality (+880); private education and health services (+580); construction (+270); retail trade (+180); professional and business services (+130); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+130); other services (+70); and wholesale trade (+40). In contrast, financial activities (-60) and information (-40) lost jobs over the year.
Government employment rose by 130 jobs over the year. Federal (+70), state (+40), and local government (+20) posted gains since January 2022.
Out of a civilian workforce of 106,502 people, the Medford metro had 100,140 of eligible workers employed. 6,362 workforce individuals were classified as unemployed during the time period. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.1% during January 2023. Previously in a December, the unemployment rate was 5.0%. While for January 2022, the Medford MSA was 4.6%.
Source: State of Oregon
