Counties with the highest unemployment in Oregon
The first jobs report under the new Trump administration showed a stable job market, with the unemployment rate ticking down from 4.1% to 4% in January, the lowest since last May, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released Feb. 7.
The report marks 49 consecutive months of overall job growth, the second-longest recorded period since 1939.
Job losses that did occur were concentrated in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industries, which declined by 8,000 jobs over the month. There was little change in employment in other major industries.
To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates Oregon, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in December 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.
Key takeaways: Jobs report reveals cooling labor market
January's job growth of 143,000 fell short of expectations, while the downward revision of 589,000 fewer jobs in 2024 suggests the labor market was weaker last year than initially thought.
Business leaders are starting to display more caution, with 67% of executives reporting higher stress levels heading into 2025, according to a survey of 1,000 executives by Sentry, a business insurance company. Among survey respondents, 47% citing economic uncertainty as their biggest concern.
"We have what I would describe as a robust but frozen labor market," Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon, told The New York Times, noting that while unemployment remains low, there's very little churn or employee turnover as "businesses are being cautious as to how they manage their work force."
Moody's Analytics projects monthly payroll gains could slow to around 100,000 by year-end.
The big story: Potential for economic headwinds grows
Behind the "Now Hiring" signs and modest unemployment rate, there's growing concern on Main Street that the economy might be more fragile than it appears.
"You've already got companies hiring as if they're in a recession—even if they're not laying people off," Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNN. Average unemployment duration, a lagging indicator, rose from 20.8 weeks in January 2024 to 22 in January of this year.
Tightening trade regulations and federal trimming could also have an impact on the job market. Experts predict the U.S. gross domestic product could take a hit due to increased tariffs. The U.S. government is the country's largest employer and contributes 36% to the GDP.
Sudden cuts to federal spending advocated by the new administration could hit the economy hard. One example of the potential fallout is that if prices were to increase further due to higher tariffs, consumer purchasing power would decline, stymieing economic growth.
Whether the effects of slashing the workforce and the budget will be exceeded by Trump's plans to loosen business regulations and cut taxes remains to be seen.
To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Oregon.
36. Hood River County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,638 people (451 unemployed)
34. Wheeler County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 815 people (29 unemployed)
34. Benton County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 51,033 people (1,815 unemployed)
33. Sherman County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 974 people (37 unemployed)
32. Washington County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 335,161 people (12,999 unemployed)
30. Yamhill County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 56,010 people (2,221 unemployed)
30. Clackamas County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 225,890 people (8,970 unemployed)
28. Multnomah County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 466,877 people (19,333 unemployed)
28. Malheur County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 13,171 people (535 unemployed)
23. Deschutes County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 106,131 people (4,409 unemployed)
23. Tillamook County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,906 people (500 unemployed)
23. Polk County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 43,862 people (1,836 unemployed)
23. Morrow County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,910 people (246 unemployed)
23. Marion County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 174,167 people (7,354 unemployed)
21. Clatsop County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,629 people (839 unemployed)
21. Lane County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 185,889 people (8,052 unemployed)
19. Baker County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,106 people (311 unemployed)
19. Umatilla County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 37,885 people (1,681 unemployed)
17. Wasco County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,576 people (572 unemployed)
17. Harney County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,591 people (160 unemployed)
15. Linn County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 61,703 people (2,844 unemployed)
15. Jackson County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 105,267 people (4,869 unemployed)
13. Wallowa County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,456 people (162 unemployed)
13. Jefferson County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 10,338 people (490 unemployed)
11. Gilliam County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 965 people (47 unemployed)
11. Union County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,095 people (593 unemployed)
6. Columbia County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,115 people (1,248 unemployed)
6. Coos County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 26,533 people (1,314 unemployed)
6. Lake County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,498 people (175 unemployed)
6. Lincoln County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,635 people (1,027 unemployed)
6. Curry County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
--- 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,692 people (432 unemployed)
5. Douglas County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 47,359 people (2,423 unemployed)
3. Crook County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: -0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,189 people (632 unemployed)
3. Josephine County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,584 people (1,987 unemployed)
2. Klamath County (tie)
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,849 people (1,778 unemployed)
1. Grant County
December unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
--- 1-month change: +1.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: +1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,019 people (191 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
