Despite a relatively low unemployment rate, Americans continue to fear job losses amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
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 June 2024, 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.
Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a “soft landing.” Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers, from Google to Tesla, have sparked concern among Americans. What’s more, unemployment has spiked in over half the country’s states since last year, which often indicates a looming recession, a chief global economist at Piper Sandler told Business Insider. Unemployment is also up in a vast majority of U.S. metros.
Still, as of July 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 4.3%, with only a slight increase from the previous month. For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years. At the height of the COVID-19 recession in April 2020, unemployment hit 14.7%.
Regional and state employment range widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in South Dakota to 5.4% in Washington D.C.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Oregon.
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#36. Wheeler County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 809 people (23 unemployed)
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#35. Hood River County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,128 people (442 unemployed)
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#34. Wallowa County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,782 people (126 unemployed)
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#33. Benton County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 51,320 people (1,724 unemployed)
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#32. Morrow County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,279 people (218 unemployed)
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#31. Wasco County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 14,060 people (498 unemployed)
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#30. Sherman County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 999 people (36 unemployed)
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#29. Tillamook County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,519 people (456 unemployed)
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#28. Yamhill County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 56,305 people (2,023 unemployed)
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#27. Washington County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 333,566 people (11,898 unemployed)
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#26. Harney County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,629 people (134 unemployed)
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#25. Clatsop County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,546 people (763 unemployed)
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#24. Umatilla County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 40,077 people (1,467 unemployed)
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#23. Deschutes County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 107,389 people (3,969 unemployed)
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#22. Clackamas County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 226,119 people (8,336 unemployed)
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#21. Baker County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: No change
– Total labor force: 7,125 people (279 unemployed)
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#20. Polk County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 43,504 people (1,695 unemployed)
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#19. Marion County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 174,287 people (6,866 unemployed)
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
#18. Multnomah County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 467,171 people (18,131 unemployed)
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#17. Malheur County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,413 people (533 unemployed)
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#16. Lane County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 186,491 people (7,644 unemployed)
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#15. Jefferson County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,504 people (441 unemployed)
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#14. Union County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,312 people (513 unemployed)
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#13. Lake County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,614 people (154 unemployed)
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#12. Linn County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 61,657 people (2,662 unemployed)
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#11. Grant County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
— 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,290 people (146 unemployed)
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#10. Lincoln County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 21,655 people (976 unemployed)
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#9. Columbia County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 24,980 people (1,128 unemployed)
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#8. Coos County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 26,838 people (1,211 unemployed)
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#7. Gilliam County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 899 people (41 unemployed)
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#6. Jackson County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 107,727 people (5,061 unemployed)
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#5. Curry County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,059 people (432 unemployed)
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#4. Klamath County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 30,482 people (1,453 unemployed)
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#3. Douglas County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 47,566 people (2,311 unemployed)
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#2. Crook County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
— 1-month change: No change
— 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,363 people (601 unemployed)
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#1. Josephine County
– June unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
— 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 36,561 people (1,987 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.