November employment in Oregon's counties

In November 2011, Benton County had the lowest seasonally adjusted jobless rate (6.1%), while Crook County had the highest rate (15.5%). Between November 2010 and November 2011, unemployment rates declined in all but two counties; rates rose in Gilliam and Sherman counties over the year. The largest over-the-year declines occurred in Deschutes and Wheeler counties. Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 9.1 percent in November, while the U.S. rate dropped to 8.6 percent.

Total nonfarm payroll employment fell in four of the state’s six broad regions between November 2010 and November 2011. The largest declines occurred in the Willamette Valley and along the Oregon coast (-0.9% each). Smaller declines occurred in the combined eastern (-0.2%) and central (-0.1%) Oregon counties over the year. The five Portland metro counties in Oregon and Southern Oregon saw employment gains of 0.9 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

For additional information in your local area, please visit www.QualityInfo.org and select an area on the Regional Information map.