COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fewer Columbia County residents were looking for work in September than at any point in the past year’s reporting. The county’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6%, down from 5.8% in August and 6.3% in September 2025, according to the Oregon Employment Department’s monthly county report, released Oct. 20.
The raw count tells the same story. About 1,284 county residents were unemployed in September, down from 1,530 in August and 1,666 a year earlier. That’s 382 fewer people out of work than in September 2025.
Columbia County still trails the region. Oregon’s statewide rate was 5% in September, and the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro area, which includes Columbia County, was at 4.7%. The national rate was 4.2%.
Jobs: up on paper, down after adjustment
The number of jobs located in the county moved in the opposite direction. Seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment fell by 130 jobs in September, to 11,930, a 1.1% drop.
The two numbers can differ because the state adjusts for patterns that repeat every year. Before that adjustment, county employers actually added 150 jobs in September. But the department says the county normally gains about 280 jobs that month, largely as schools reopen. Coming in 130 short of a normal September shows up as a loss.
Government drove the month. Before adjustment, government employment rose by 210 jobs while private employers cut 60. Local education alone added 220 jobs, up 25.9%. Trade, transportation and utilities added 30 jobs, and private education and health services lost 30.
Over the year: professional services take the biggest hit
Compared with September 2025, the county has 250 fewer jobs, a 2% decline.
The steepest loss was in professional and business services, down 170 jobs, or 14.5%. That sector includes jobs such as accounting, engineering, administrative support and staffing. Local government, including schools, was down 30 jobs, or 1.7%.
Private education and health services grew the most, adding 90 jobs, or 4.8%.
Why the jobless rate and the job count can diverge
The unemployment rate counts county residents, wherever they work. Payroll figures count jobs located inside the county. Many Columbia County residents commute into the Portland area, so residents can find work even when the number of jobs based in the county shrinks.
Before seasonal adjustment, the county’s labor force was 26,694 people, with 25,410 employed and 1,284 unemployed, for an unadjusted rate of 4.8%.
September figures are preliminary and will be revised next month. The department prepares the data with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What’s next: The department releases October’s statewide numbers on Wednesday, Nov. 18. October county and metro figures come out Tuesday, Nov. 24.