In October 2021, all of Oregon’s 36 counties experienced over-the-month decreases in their unemployment rates. Thirteen counties experienced a 0.4 percentage point decrease over the month including Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Jefferson, Josephine, Lincoln, Tillamook, Crook, Marion, and Multnomah counties.
Grant County had Oregon’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in October at 6.4%. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates included Klamath (6.3%), Crook (6.2%), Curry (6.1%), and Lincoln (6.1%).
Wheeler County registered the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 2.8%. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in October were Benton (3.4%), Washington (3.7%), and Malheur (3.9%) counties. Twelve counties had unemployment rates at or below the nationwide rate of 4.6%. Eleven of those counties also had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 4.4%.
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between October 2020 and October 2021. Most areas still have room to recover from pandemic job losses; the state has now recovered 74% of jobs lost in March and April 2020. The largest job increases since October 2020 occurred in the Willamette Valley (3.8%). The Portland 5 area (3.4%) and Central Oregon (3.1%) also experienced large over-the-year employment increases. Southern Oregon, the Coast, and Eastern Oregon regions added 2.5%, 2.0%, and 1.9%, respectively.
Next News Releases
The Oregon Employment Department will release statewide unemployment rate and industry employment data for November 2021 on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. The November 2021 county and metropolitan area unemployment rates will be released on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021.
Read the original press release here.
