Oregon is boasting one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country right now, and Umatilla and Morrow counties on the southern end of the Mid Columbia are seeing the lowest unemployment rates since before the recession!

The reason Oregon is doing so well is increased hiring on the West Side, and the real reason Umatilla and Morrow are looking so good on paper is the Chemical Depot is done making layoffs because it's closed. Even though it was a gradual, planned closing the depot shutdown was messing with the area's statistics.

That said, there are good jobs in Boardman because of the river port and Hermiston, Umatilla and Pendleton are all doing fine economically. According to a local expert, many of the agricultural jobs were recession proof and a call center that planned to close in Milton-Freewater stayed open.

 

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