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 September 2023, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—equal to the previous month, and up about 0.3 percentage points from the same time last year. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 1.6% 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 September 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. Hood River County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,572 people (371 unemployed)
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#35. Wheeler County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 770 people (22 unemployed)
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#34. Wallowa County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,724 people (111 unemployed)
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#33. Morrow County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,199 people (184 unemployed)
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#32. Harney County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,658 people (113 unemployed)
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#31. Malheur County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,582 people (391 unemployed)
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#30. Benton County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 48,271 people (1,492 unemployed)
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#29. Washington County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 331,968 people (10,405 unemployed)
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#28. Umatilla County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 39,273 people (1,254 unemployed)
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#27. Yamhill County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 55,963 people (1,789 unemployed)
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#26. Sherman County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 957 people (32 unemployed)
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#25. Clackamas County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 224,592 people (7,311 unemployed)
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#24. Grant County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,276 people (112 unemployed)
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#23. Union County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,749 people (402 unemployed)
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#22. Tillamook County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,003 people (411 unemployed)
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#21. Clatsop County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,484 people (655 unemployed)
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#20. Deschutes County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 101,844 people (3,473 unemployed)
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#19. Marion County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 169,744 people (5,839 unemployed)
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#18. Multnomah County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 464,042 people (15,925 unemployed)
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#17. Polk County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 42,556 people (1,477 unemployed)
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#16. Baker County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,140 people (258 unemployed)
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#15. Wasco County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,845 people (462 unemployed)
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#14. Lincoln County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,161 people (789 unemployed)
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#13. Linn County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 60,302 people (2,272 unemployed)
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#12. Jackson County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 105,597 people (3,974 unemployed)
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#11. Lane County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 176,528 people (6,691 unemployed)
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#10. Gilliam County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 897 people (35 unemployed)
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#9. Lake County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,536 people (146 unemployed)
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#8. Curry County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,259 people (376 unemployed)
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#7. Jefferson County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,172 people (418 unemployed)
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#6. Columbia County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,829 people (1,022 unemployed)
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#5. Klamath County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 29,874 people (1,229 unemployed)
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#4. Coos County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 26,083 people (1,092 unemployed)
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#3. Douglas County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 46,294 people (1,969 unemployed)
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#2. Josephine County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,197 people (1,604 unemployed)
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#1. Crook County
– September unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 10,897 people (569 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.