Willamette Valley saw highest job growth in Oregon regions over past year
May 2022 unemployment rates across Oregon (Oregon Employment Department)
The Willamette Valley has added jobs faster than any other region in Oregon over the past year, the Oregon Employment Department said Wednesday.
Jobs in the region are up 4.1% over the past year, compared to 3.7% in the Portland Metro area, 3.3% in central Oregon, 1.3% on the Oregon coast, 0.8% in eastern Oregon and 0.7% in southern Oregon.
The local unemployment rate continued to decline in May, hitting a seasonally adjusted rate of 3.6% in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Marion and Polk counties, according to state data released Wednesday. Oregon overall also had a 3.6% unemployment rate in May.
Salem’s unemployment rate has continued to decline from a high of 11.3% in April 2020. In January, local unemployment was 4.2%. It was 3.7% in April.
-Rachel Alexander
