Coos County employers cut 450 jobs over the past year, while payroll employment in neighboring Curry County held nearly steady, according to the latest state estimates.

The losses in Coos County occurred between July 2025 and July 2026. Manufacturing, food production, trade and transportation have all taken a hit, according to an Oregon Employment Department report published last month. Figures for August are scheduled for release Sept. 22.

But regional economist Guy Tauer, who authored the study, says job numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“You’ve got to look at the other side of the equation, looking at the labor force data,” Tauer said. “Unemployment rates are still at historically fairly low levels.”

One reason may be that Coos County’s labor force shrank by more than 500 people over the past year.

Tauer said he was not surprised by the decline in manufacturing. Higher interest rates have weakened manufacturing nationwide. But the drop in leisure and hospitality was unexpected, he said.

Federal payroll records show the county’s food manufacturers cut 67 jobs between March 2025 and March 2026, a decline of 24% and the lowest March level in more than 20 years. About two-thirds of food manufacturing jobs in Coos County are in seafood processing.

While most sectors lost employees, a couple actually added workers. Health and education services added about 100 jobs, while tribal government added about 110.

Oregon’s employment trend is weak overall. Tauer said it’s one of the slowest-growing states in the country for employment, and Coos County is roughly on par with the rest of the state.

Curry County’s job market was much more stable.

The Oregon Employment Department data show payroll employment in Curry County was nearly unchanged from a year ago. The county’s unemployment rate fell from 6.8% to 6.2% over the same period.

Tauer said leisure and hospitality lost a few jobs and retail gained a few, but overall it was a wash.

“It’s kind of the ‘no news is good news’ sort of thing,” Tauer said.

Although the counties experienced different short-term trends, Tauer said both remain below their pre-pandemic employment levels.

Theo Greenly is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/13/coos-curry-counties-employment-trends/