Counties with the highest unemployment rate in Oregon
Unemployment rates, while significantly lower than the alarming pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, remain a subject of concern, notably as economic experts bandy around the idea of a potential recession by 2023. The last economic recession—the Great Recession of 2008-2010—sent rates up to 10% as of October 2009. It was not until the spring of 2019 that unemployment finally went down to the same level it sits at now.
As of October of this year, national unemployment is at 3.7%, 0.2% higher than in September. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2.0% in Minnesota, to 4.5% in Illinois and 4.7% in the District of Columbia. Further breakdown by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows yet another county-based spectrum within each state.
To that end, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rate in Oregon using data from the BLS. Counties are ranked by unemployment rate in September 2022.
#36. Wheeler County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 736 (20 unemployed)
#35. Sherman County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: -0.5%
- Total labor force: 966 (28 unemployed)
#34. Hood River County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 15,530 (467 unemployed)
#33. Washington County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 339,326 (11,505 unemployed)
#32. Benton County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 48,412 (1,714 unemployed)
#31. Clackamas County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 230,317 (8,417 unemployed)
#30. Morrow County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 6,188 (231 unemployed)
#29. Yamhill County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 57,356 (2,094 unemployed)
#28. Gilliam County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 868 (33 unemployed)
#27. Malheur County
--- 1 month change: -0.7%
--- 1 year change: +0.4%
- Total labor force: 12,746 (478 unemployed)
#26. Deschutes County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 105,090 (4,091 unemployed)
#25. Multnomah County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.6%
- Total labor force: 475,719 (18,528 unemployed)
#24. Wallowa County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 3,803 (154 unemployed)
#23. Wasco County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.4%
- Total labor force: 12,997 (520 unemployed)
#22. Baker County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 7,626 (315 unemployed)
#21. Harney County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 3,859 (157 unemployed)
#20. Marion County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 169,566 (6,897 unemployed)
#19. Polk County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 42,589 (1,728 unemployed)
#18. Clatsop County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 19,911 (837 unemployed)
#17. Tillamook County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 12,627 (530 unemployed)
#16. Jackson County
--- 1 month change: -0.4%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 108,582 (4,812 unemployed)
#15. Union County
--- 1 month change: 0.0%
--- 1 year change: +0.3%
- Total labor force: 12,209 (536 unemployed)
#14. Lake County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 3,686 (167 unemployed)
#13. Lane County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.1%
- Total labor force: 183,962 (8,289 unemployed)
#12. Linn County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 61,357 (2,759 unemployed)
#11. Columbia County
--- 1 month change: -0.2%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 25,460 (1,174 unemployed)
#10. Grant County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: +0.2%
- Total labor force: 3,230 (148 unemployed)
#9. Umatilla County
--- 1 month change: +0.4%
--- 1 year change: +0.8%
- Total labor force: 38,983 (1,863 unemployed)
#8. Douglas County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 48,206 (2,439 unemployed)
#7. Jefferson County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 10,683 (542 unemployed)
#6. Lincoln County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: -0.3%
- Total labor force: 21,555 (1,099 unemployed)
#5. Crook County
--- 1 month change: -0.1%
--- 1 year change: -0.2%
- Total labor force: 11,507 (594 unemployed)
#4. Josephine County
--- 1 month change: -0.5%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 37,470 (1,948 unemployed)
#3. Curry County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: 0.0%
- Total labor force: 9,396 (497 unemployed)
#2. Coos County
--- 1 month change: -0.3%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 26,657 (1,428 unemployed)
#1. Klamath County
--- 1 month change: -0.6%
--- 1 year change: +0.1%
- Total labor force: 30,521 (1,636 unemployed)