December 2021 Employment and Unemployment in Oregon’s Counties

In December 2021, all of Oregon’s 36 counties experienced over-the-month decreases in their unemployment rates. Eight counties experienced a 0.3 percentage point decrease or more over the month including Clatsop, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Hood River, Jefferson, Klamath, and Wasco counties.

Grant County had Oregon’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in December at 5.9%. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates included Klamath (5.7%), Crook (5.6%), Curry (5.6%), and Lincoln (5.5%).

Wheeler County registered the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 2.8%. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in December were Benton (3.1%), Washington (3.4%), and Hood River (3.6%). Twelve counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 4.1%. Ten counties also had unemployment rates at or below the nationwide rate of 3.9%.

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between December 2020 and December 2021. Most areas still have room to recover from pandemic job losses. The largest job increases since December 2020 occurred in the Central Oregon (6.5%) region. The Willamette Valley (6.0%) and Portland 5 area (5.4%) also experienced large over-the-year employment increases. Southern Oregon, the Coast, and Eastern Oregon regions added 2.6%, 2.8%, and 2.8%, respectively.

Next News Releases
The Oregon Employment Department will release statewide unemployment rate and industry employment data for January 2022 on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. The January 2022 county and metropolitan area unemployment rates will be released on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

Read the original press release here.