While today’s unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession. The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of August 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—nearly the same as the same month last year, and up about 0.3 percentage points from July. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.7% in Maryland to 5.4% in Nevada.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Oregon using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in August 2023, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
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#36. Wallowa County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,853 people (124 unemployed)
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#35. Hood River County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,656 people (464 unemployed)
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#34. Wheeler County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 753 people (25 unemployed)
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#33. Benton County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 47,616 people (1,585 unemployed)
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#32. Harney County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,662 people (125 unemployed)
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#31. Washington County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 334,989 people (11,417 unemployed)
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#30. Morrow County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,126 people (212 unemployed)
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#29. Clackamas County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 226,866 people (7,983 unemployed)
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#28. Clatsop County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,839 people (719 unemployed)
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#27. Yamhill County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 56,479 people (2,017 unemployed)
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#26. Grant County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,266 people (121 unemployed)
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#25. Union County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,975 people (438 unemployed)
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#24. Deschutes County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 102,310 people (3,796 unemployed)
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#23. Multnomah County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 468,525 people (17,501 unemployed)
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#22. Sherman County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 972 people (37 unemployed)
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#21. Tillamook County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,365 people (468 unemployed)
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#20. Wasco County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,812 people (519 unemployed)
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#19. Umatilla County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 38,825 people (1,490 unemployed)
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#18. Marion County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 170,014 people (6,483 unemployed)
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#17. Malheur County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,623 people (495 unemployed)
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#16. Polk County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 42,595 people (1,658 unemployed)
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#15. Baker County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,078 people (285 unemployed)
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#14. Linn County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 60,534 people (2,458 unemployed)
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#13. Lincoln County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,772 people (905 unemployed)
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#12. Lane County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 176,246 people (7,346 unemployed)
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#11. Gilliam County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 932 people (40 unemployed)
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#10. Lake County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,633 people (157 unemployed)
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#9. Curry County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,285 people (412 unemployed)
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#8. Jefferson County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,034 people (446 unemployed)
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#7. Jackson County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 105,476 people (4,605 unemployed)
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#6. Columbia County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 25,085 people (1,144 unemployed)
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#5. Coos County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 26,370 people (1,229 unemployed)
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#4. Klamath County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 29,592 people (1,405 unemployed)
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#3. Douglas County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 46,552 people (2,228 unemployed)
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#2. Josephine County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,272 people (1,833 unemployed)
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#1. Crook County
– August unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 11,049 people (621 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
Stacker
Stacker is a news organization that produces and distributes data journalism to the world’s news organizations. Founded in 2017, Stacker combines data analysis with rich editorial context, drawing on authoritative sources and subject matter experts to drive storytelling. This article has been republished pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.