November 2021 Employment and Unemployment in Oregon’s Counties

In November 2021, 35 of Oregon’s 36 counties experienced over-the-month decreases in their unemployment rates. Seventeen counties experienced a 0.3 percentage point decrease or more over the month including Baker, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Crook, Curry, Gilliam, Klamath, Multnomah, Tillamook, Union, Wasco, Yamhill, Hood River, Deschutes, Lane, and Lincoln counties.

Grant County had Oregon’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November at 6.2%. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates included Klamath (6.0%), Crook (5.9%), Curry (5.8%), and Lincoln (5.7%).

Wheeler County registered the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 2.8%. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in November were Benton (3.2%); Washington (3.5%); and Clackamas, Malheur, Sherman, and Yamhill (3.8% each). Twelve counties had unemployment rates at or below the nationwide and statewide rate of 4.2%.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between November 2020 and November 2021. Most areas still have room to recover from pandemic job losses; the state has now recovered roughly three-quarters of jobs lost in March and April 2020. The largest job increases since November 2020 occurred in the Willamette Valley (4.5%). The Portland 5 area (3.7%) and Central Oregon (3.5%) also experienced large over-the-year employment increases. Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, and the Coast regions added 2.2%, 2.1%, and 1.9%, respectively.

Next News Releases

The Oregon Employment Department will release statewide unemployment rate and industry employment data for December 2021 on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2021. The December 2021 county and metropolitan area unemployment rates will be released on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2021.

Read the original press release here.