November 2017 Employment and Unemployment in Oregon’s Counties

Benton County had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.2 percent in November 2017. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in November include Hood River (3.5%), Washington (3.6%), and Wheeler (3.6%).

Eastern and Southern Oregon had higher unemployment rates in November 2017, which were still closer to their record low unemployment rates since 1990. Curry and Harney counties have registered the highest unemployment rates for the month at 6.4 percent.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in all of Oregon’s six broad regions between November 2016 and November 2017. The largest job gains occurred in Central Oregon (+2.4%). Portland (+2.2%), the Willamette Valley (+2.1%), Southern Oregon (+1.7%), Eastern Oregon (+1.1%), and the Oregon Coast (+0.7%) also saw growth.

To learn more about the employment situation for your county, click here. To see the full press release, click here.