July 2019 Employment and Unemployment in Oregon’s Counties

Benton County had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.1 percent in July 2019. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in June included Washington (3.3%), Hood River (3.4%), and Multnomah (3.5%). Seven counties had unemployment rates at or below the national rate of 3.7 percent. Eight of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates below the statewide rate of 4.0 percent. 

Grant County registered the highest unemployment rate for the month at 7.3 percent. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates in July were Wallowa and Klamath (6.4%). July 2019 unemployment rates for almost all of Oregon’s counties were similar to what they were in July 2018. 

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between July 2018 and July 2019. The largest job gains occurred in the Portland area (+1.5%). Southern Oregon (+1.1%), the Willamette Valley (0.9%), the Coast (+0.8%), Eastern Oregon (+0.8%), and Central Oregon (+0.4%) also saw employment growth over the past year.

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