Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Portland fell 0.2 percentage points in May 2023 to 3.6%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower than the Oregon rate. The unemployment rate in Portland peaked in April 2020 at 13.3% and is now 9.7 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 3.6% in January 2022, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.0 percentage points. You can also compare Portland unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | May 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.7% | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| Oregon | 3.7% | -0.3 | 0.0 |
| Portland | 3.6% | -0.2 | 0.0 |
Unemployment Rate: Portland, Oregon, National
Note: Recessions shown in gray.
Portland, Oregon Unemployed
The number of people unemployed in Portland peaked in April 2020 at 171,373. There are now 122,666 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 48,313 in March 2022, the number of unemployed has now grown by 394. Portland employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Portland, Oregon) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | May 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | 48,707 | -2,675 | -852 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Portland, Oregon Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Oregon Unemployment Rate |
Portland Unemployment Rate |
Portland Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2023 |
3.6% | — | — | — |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 3.7% | 3.6% | 48,707 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 4.0% | 3.8% | 51,382 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 55,662 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% | 59,192 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 59,917 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 59,813 |
| November 2022 |
3.6% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 60,149 |
| October 2022 |
3.7% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 60,153 |
| September 2022 |
3.5% | 4.6% | 4.3% | 58,676 |
| August 2022 |
3.7% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 56,404 |
| July 2022 |
3.5% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 53,739 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
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