Employment decreased in 6 of the 7 largest counties in Oregon from March 2024 to March 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Washington County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 2.0 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Oregon, March 2025

County	Percent change, March 2025
Washington	-2.0
Clackamas	-1.3
Lane	-0.8
Multnomah	-0.7
Jackson	-0.6
Deschutes	-0.4
Marion	0.1

Among the seven largest counties in Oregon, employment was highest in Multnomah (492,100) in March 2025. Together, the seven largest counties accounted for 75.1 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Six of the seven large Oregon counties reported average weekly wage increases over the year. (See chart 2.) Deschutes had the largest increase (+5.5 percent). Over-the-year wage changes for Oregon's other large counties ranged from 4.2 percent to -1.9 percent.

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Oregon, first quarter 2025

County	Percent change, first quarter 2025
Deschutes	5.5
Marion	4.2
Lane	4.0
Multnomah	3.9
Clackamas	3.6
Jackson	2.0
Washington	-1.9

Weekly wages in 2 of the 7 largest counties in Oregon were above the national average of $1,589. Average weekly wages ranged from $1,723 in Washington to $1,147 in Jackson.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 29 small counties in Oregon, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in all 29 smaller counties were below the national average. Morrow reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,356). Wheeler reported the lowest average weekly wage ($844) in the state.

Among all 36 Oregon counties, 7 reported average weekly wages of less than $1,000, 15 had wages from $1,000 to $1,124, 5 had wages from $1,125 to $1,249, and 9 had average weekly wages of $1,250 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)

QCEW data for states have been included in this release in table 3.

Nationwide coverage of the largest counties is published in the County Employment and Wages news release. Additional information about quarterly employment and wages data is available in the news release Technical Note and from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

The County Employment and Wages release for the second quarter 2025 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.