October (Un)Employment in Oregon's Counties

This morning the Oregon Employment Department released the unemployment rates and employment estimates for the state's 36 counties. Benton County had Oregon's lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in October at 5.7 percent. Harney County (12.6%) registered the highest rate for the month. Fifteen of Oregon's counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 7.7 percent.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in five or Oregon's six broad regions between October 2012 and October 2013. The largest job gains occurred in Central Oregon (+2.7%). The Portland area (+2.0%), Southern Oregon (+1.7%), the Willamette Valley (+1.1%), and the Oregon Coast (+0.1%) also saw job growth over the year. Employment declined by 0.5 percent over the year in Eastern Oregon. 

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