September 2018 Employment and Unemployment in Oregon’s Counties

Benton and Hood River counties had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.0 percent in September 2018. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in September included Washington (3.2%), Wheeler (3.2%), and Multnomah (3.3%). Ten of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide unemployment rate of 3.8 percent and eight were at or below the national rate of 3.7 percent.

Eastern and Southern Oregon had higher unemployment rates in September 2018, which were still close to their record low unemployment rates since 1990. In Oregon, 18 counties had record low unemployment rates in September.

Grant County registered the highest unemployment rate for the month at 6.3 percent, which was close to Grant’s lowest unemployment rate since comparable records began in 1990. Crook County saw its unemployment rate improve over the year by 1.0 percentage point, more than any other county.

More information is available at Labor Force and Unemployment by Area.