Columbia County, OR jobs, unemployment and layoffs

Independent page. Not from or affiliated with the State of Oregon.
Looking for work in Oregon? See where you stand.
Not sure you match what employers here are hiring for? Get a free read on your fit, the jobs open near you and a plan for the weeks ahead.
Show me jobs near meColumbia County economy
4.8%
unemployment, Sep 2026
6.2% the month before
26,694
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
53,178
people in Columbia County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$86,359
median household income
Source: Census ACS
31%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Columbia County ranks
Where Columbia County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Pacific Northwest−1.4 points · of 39
- #2Counties where unemployment fell the most in the West Coast−1.4 points · of 77
- #7Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the Pacific Northwest7.8 per 10,000 · of 37
- #12Counties with the most job centers per unemployed person in the West Coast7.8 per 10,000 · of 79
Columbia County outlook: Steady
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 2.8% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 2.6% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.8%, down 1.4 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+340 jobs)
Learn and get funded in Columbia County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Columbia County layoffs
No layoff notices naming Columbia County in the last 12 months are on file. The WARN Act covers employers with 100 or more workers, so smaller layoffs are not in it.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Columbia County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Oregon? How to file for unemployment in Oregon (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Oregon Northwest Workforce Investment Board
Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Tillamook
WorkSource Oregon - Columbia County One-Stop
St. Helens · Affiliate · 503-378-2009
8:30 am - 5 pm M - F
Cities in Columbia County
Other Oregon counties
Laid off or looking for work in Columbia County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Oregon’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Oregon unemployment benefits and severance rules.
Applying and hearing nothing back?
Find out where you stand: your odds, the jobs that fit you and a plan for the week ahead. Free. No résumé needed.
Already a member? Log in
Job seekers in Columbia County looking to you for help, or openings you cannot fill?
Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers in Columbia County.