Counties with the highest unemployment in Oregon
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Oregon using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Oregon.
#36. Benton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,310 people (1,962 unemployed)
#35. Wheeler County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 806 people (32 unemployed)
#34. Hood River County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,301 people (581 unemployed)
#33. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 335,150 people (14,200 unemployed)
#32. Morrow County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,028 people (258 unemployed)
#31. Clackamas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 226,997 people (9,824 unemployed)
#30. Malheur County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,961 people (600 unemployed)
#29. Multnomah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 469,724 people (21,753 unemployed)
#28. Yamhill County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,683 people (2,636 unemployed)
#27. Clatsop County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,882 people (969 unemployed)
#26. Polk County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,605 people (2,124 unemployed)
#25. Marion County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 173,108 people (8,506 unemployed)
#24. Umatilla County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 38,815 people (1,954 unemployed)
#23. Deschutes County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 107,318 people (5,374 unemployed)
#22. Lane County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 186,015 people (9,363 unemployed)
#21. Tillamook County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,412 people (631 unemployed)
#20. Wasco County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,824 people (689 unemployed)
#19. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,386 people (1,149 unemployed)
#18. Linn County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,862 people (3,319 unemployed)
#17. Sherman County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 981 people (55 unemployed)
#16. Union County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,238 people (692 unemployed)
#15. Columbia County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,283 people (1,429 unemployed)
#14. Coos County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 27,512 people (1,572 unemployed)
#13. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 107,016 people (6,089 unemployed)
#12. Baker County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,154 people (420 unemployed)
#11. Harney County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,614 people (222 unemployed)
#10. Douglas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,962 people (2,909 unemployed)
#9. Grant County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,223 people (201 unemployed)
#8. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 10,312 people (635 unemployed)
#7. Curry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,052 people (577 unemployed)
#6. Josephine County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 36,210 people (2,315 unemployed)
#5. Gilliam County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 2.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 915 people (60 unemployed)
#4. Lake County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 3,543 people (238 unemployed)
#3. Wallowa County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,542 people (244 unemployed)
#2. Klamath County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 30,586 people (2,189 unemployed)
#1. Crook County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,273 people (949 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
