Klamath and Grant counties had Oregon’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September at 6.6%. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates included Lincoln (6.5%), Curry (6.5%), Crook (6.5%), and Jefferson (6.1%) counties.
Wheeler County registered the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 2.9%. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in September were Benton (3.6%), Washington (4.0%), Sherman (4.0%), and Malheur (4.1%) counties. Eleven counties had unemployment rates at or below the nationwide rate of 4.8%. The same 11 counties also had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 4.7%.
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between September 2020 and September 2021. Most areas still have room to recover from pandemic job losses; the state has now recovered 72% of jobs lost in March and April 2020. The largest job increases since September 2020 occurred in the Willamette Valley (5.0%). Southern Oregon (2.9%), Central Oregon (2.9%), and the Coast (2.8%) also experienced large over-the-year employment increases. The Portland 5 and Eastern Oregon regions added 2.6% and 2.1%, respectively.
Next News Releases
The Oregon Employment Department will release statewide unemployment rate and industry employment data for October 2021 on Tuesday, Nov.16, 2021. The October 2021 county and metropolitan area unemployment rates will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021.
Read the original press release.