Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

About Us

 

In 1935, Oregon established the Oregon State Employment Service after the Social Security Act was passed. This allowed the U.S. government to collect a payroll tax from employers to support state-run unemployment insurance programs. The Oregon Employment Department (OED), as we know it today, was created by the Legislative Assembly in 1993. The department is an active partner in the development of the state's workforce.

The Employment Department strives to promote employment of Oregonians through developing a diversified, multi-skilled workforce, and providing support during periods of unemployment.

Through 47 offices across the state, the department serves job seekers and employers by helping workers find suitable employment; providing qualified applicants for employers; supplying statewide and local labor market information; and providing unemployment insurance benefits to workers temporarily unemployed through no fault of their own.

The department offers a number of services. It serves employers through timely recruitment of a qualified workforce, customizing state and local labor market information for use as a business planning tool, and by offering job-matching services based on the need of each employer. Labor market economists and research analysts identify major workforce policy areas that require additional research and present their findings and ideas for solutions to decision makers. Statewide, regional, and local economic information is prepared for use by employers, community leaders, and policy makers. The department helps job seekers find jobs that match their skills and employers' needs, provides them with up-to-date information about trends in occupations and skills needed for success in the job market, and works with other agencies to direct them to appropriate training programs and job experiences.

​Support Business - Promote Employment 

  • Support economic stability for Oregonians and communities during times of unemployment through the payment of unemployment benefits.
  • Serve businesses by recruiting and referring the best qualified applicants to jobs, and provide resources to diverse job seekers in support of their employment needs.
  • Develop and distribute quality workforce and economic information to promote informed decision making.
  • Provide easily accessible Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance benefits that help Oregon employers and workers maintain quality of life, economic stability, and peace of mind.​

Operating Principles

​How the Oregon Employment Department behaves and conducts business is crucial to the success of the department and the entire workforce system. Working with customers, partners, stakeholders and advisors, the Oregon Employment Department commits to the following operating principles.
  • ​We are conscientious stewards of public resources. 
  • We are accountable for our actions and we admit when we are wrong.
  • We are inclusive and transparent in our decision-making.
  • We seek out and form effective alliances to address community needs. 
  • We promote a positive, safe, and learning environm​ent. 
  • We work hard, and we’re not afraid to laugh.​
​

The Strategic Plan at OED 

OED’s mission is to support business and promote employment. We administer programs that help workers stay financially stable and provide resources, including reliable data, to connect employers with job seekers. The 2025-2029 Strategic Plan guides OED’s services, divisions, and programs to help Oregon’s people and businesses reach their full potential and create prosperity in every community.  

OED’s strategic plan is built on results-based accountability and continuous improvement. It focuses on performance measures that show how well we are doing and whether customers are benefiting. To meet Governor Kotek’s expectations, manage public resources effectively, and prioritize customer needs, OED leadership built on the foundation of the previous strategic plan, keeping most of the agency’s core vision, mission, values, and principles the same. 


Oregon Employment Department 2025-2029 Strategic Plan​


​The Oregon Employment Department fosters fairness, equity, and inclusion to maintain a workplace environment where everyone is treated with respect and dignity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, veterans’ status, disability, or status as a victim of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking. This policy applies to every aspect of our employment practices, including recruitment, hiring, retention, promotion, and training. A goal of the Oregon Employment Department is to become a leader in the state for workforce diversity and fostering a workplace culture of inclusion. 

​​​Budget 

The Oregon Employment Department's budget reflects the department's commitment to efficiency, financial responsibility, and support for Oregon's workforce. It includes fiscal impacts and revenue reports, in addition to detailed budget summaries for the agency's programs. This includes Unemployment Insurance, Workforce Operations, Workforce and Economic Research, Paid Leave Oregon, the Modernization Program and Shared Services.​​

​​2025-27 Governor's Budget​​​

​2025-27 Agency Requested Budget​​​​​​​
​ Annual Performance progress Report​
2023-25 Agency Adopted Budget (LAB)​
2023-25 Governor's Rec. Budget 
2023-25 ​Agency Request Budget​​​
​

Customer Service Quality at OED 

Customer Service is the first of three strategic goals in our 2025-29 OED Strategic Plan. Our goal is to continually advance our partnerships and systems to improve customer service and accessibility. Our strategic plan here at OED outlines three core objectives to promoting, improving, and achieving excellence in customer service quality: 

  1. Modernize Systems. Our customers rely on OED systems working reliably. This starts with stabilizing Frances and modernizing workforce operations’ Labor Exchange and Case Management.  
  2. Increase Outreach and Accessibility. Our programs need to coordinate with key partners, like Oregon tribes, to ensure that our work is reaching every Oregonian. Strong partnerships are important to help us remain relevant and support the evolving needs of our customers. 
  3. Improve Performance. Data is important in measuring our progress and identifying service gaps. OED is well-positioned to address complex issues and situations. 

Our customer service goal keeps OED headed in the same direction to improve systems, build partnerships, and improve transparency and accessibility for our customers. Customer service is critical to maintaining and advancing our service standards as an agency to provide more, work efficiently, and be responsive to Oregonians needs. OED recently developed the agency’s first Customer Service Policy, linked below.


​Oregon Employment Department Customer Service Policy​