Oregon Business Closures Top Openings by 6,000 in 2025 as Unemployment Hits 5.2%
Updated
Updated · OregonLive · Jul 12
Oregon Business Closures Top Openings by 6,000 in 2025 as Unemployment Hits 5.2%
2 articles · Updated · OregonLive · Jul 12
Summary
6,000 more Oregon businesses closed than opened in the first nine months of 2025, widening from a 1,700 net shortfall in 2024 and marking the longest sustained imbalance since the Great Recession.
State analysts tied the gap to softer economic and labor conditions: job growth has been stagnant since 2023, hiring has weakened and economic uncertainty has made would-be entrepreneurs more hesitant to launch.
5.2% unemployment has left Oregon with the nation’s third-highest jobless rate, while the national picture remained stronger through 2024, with business openings still outpacing closures.
Gov. Tina Kotek’s economic council last month urged tax cuts, regulatory rollbacks and higher-education investment to revive the private sector, but the governor has not yet said which steps she will take.