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Unemployment dips in Jackson County By Vickie Aldous Jun 05, 2022 12:15 AM A A Jackson County’s unemployment rate dipped to 4% in April. [File photo] Unemployment rate has fallen to 4% The unemployment rate in Jackson County has dipped to 4%, according to the latest data from the Oregon Employment Department. The department released April data for counties in late May. Jackson County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4% in April is an improvement from the previous month’s 4.2% rate. A year ago, the unemployment rate was 6.1% as the local economy emerged from COVID-19 pandemic job losses. Jackson County is lagging only slightly behind Oregon’s 3.7% April unemployment rate. The unemployment rate for the United States was 3.6% in April. The unemployment rate covers people in the workforce who are looking for jobs. It doesn’t include retired people, kids or other people not trying to find work. Jackson County’s civilian workforce was 108,934 people in April. Of those, 104,627 were working and 4,307 were unemployed, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Jackson County’s population is about 225,500 people this year, according to population estimates. About 48% of all Jackson County residents are in the workforce. In April, Josephine County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7%, an improvement from 4.8% the previous month. A year ago, 6.9% of the Josephine County workforce was unemployed. Josephine County’s civilian workforce numbers 37,659 people, of whom 35,875 are employed and 1,784 are unemployed, according to the Oregon Employment Department. Josephine County’s population is estimated at 88,500 this year. About 42% of all Josephine County residents are in the workforce. Klamath County had the state’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in April at 5.4%. Benton County, home to Corvallis, had the lowest at 2.9%. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @VickieAldous.