October 2018 Employment and Unemployment in Oregon’s Counties

Benton, Hood River, and Washington counties had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.3 percent in October 2018. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in October included Multnomah (3.5%), Clackamas (3.7%), and Wheeler (3.7%). Seven of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide unemployment rate of 3.8 percent and six were at or below the national rate of 3.7 percent.

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

Grant County registered the highest unemployment rate for the month at 6.6 percent, which was close to Grant’s lowest unemployment rate since comparable records began in 1990. 

Sherman and Harney counties saw their unemployment rates improve over the year by 0.7 percentage point, more than any other county. 

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between October 2017 and October 2018. The largest job gains occurred in Central Oregon (+2.8%). The Willamette Valley (+1.9%), the Portland area (+1.5%), Southern Oregon (+1.3%), the Oregon Coast (+0.5%), and Eastern Oregon (+0.5%) also added jobs.

Press releases for all Oregon areas are available here.