July 2013 Unemployment and Employment in Oregon's Counties

Yesterday the Oregon Employment Department released July unemployment rates and employment estimates for Oregon's counties. Benton County continued to have Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July at 6.0 percent. Harney County (12.9%) registered the highest rate for the month. Fourteen of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 8.0 percent. Crook County saw the largest improvement in its unemployment rate over the year with a drop of 1.7 percentage points, decreasing its rate from 14.3 percent to 12.6 percent.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in five of Oregon’s six broad regions from July 2012 to July 2013. The largest job gains were reported in Southern Oregon (+2.4%). Employment gains occurred during the year in Portland (+2.0%), Central Oregon (+1.9%), along the Oregon Coast (+1.2%), and in the Willamette Valley (+1.0%).

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