Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Pacific Northwest
Key facts
- #1 Deschutes County, OR: 68 / 100
- #2 Multnomah County, OR: 67 / 100
- #3 Benton County, WA: 64 / 100
- 10 counties ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Deschutes County OR68 / 100
- 2Multnomah County OR67 / 100
- 3Benton County WA64 / 100
- 4King County WA59 / 100
- 5Washington County OR53 / 100
- 6Spokane County WA50 / 100
- 7Lane County OR42 / 100
- 8Clark County WA40 / 100
- 9Snohomish County WA29 / 100
- 10Pierce County WA28 / 100
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Deschutes County (68 / 100) is well clear of Pierce County at #10 (28 / 100).
- Deschutes County reaches #1 on a sample of 100 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- King County is the largest market in the top ten, with 8,591 openings behind its figure.
- Counties with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
For someone who has lost a job, the useful counties have openings for people looking, job centers to help and unemployment that is falling. This list weighs those with published weights.
How to use it
If you are between jobs, use it to find nearby counties with more going on, and read each county page for its American Job Centers and workforce board.
The top 25
- 1
Deschutes County OR
68 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 3
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.8 points
Based on 100 openings.
- 2
Multnomah County OR
67 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 4
- American Job Centers
- 4
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −1.0 points
Based on 843 openings.
- 3
Benton County WA
64 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 4
- American Job Centers
- 2
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.3 points
Based on 133 openings.
- 4
King County WA
59 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 13
- American Job Centers
- 5
- Change in unemployment over a year
- +0.0 points
Based on 8,591 openings.
- 5
Washington County OR
53 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 3
- American Job Centers
- 1
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −1.1 points
Based on 436 openings.
- 6
Spokane County WA
50 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 4
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.4 points
Based on 179 openings.
- 7
Lane County OR
42 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 3
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −1.0 points
Based on 132 openings.
- 8
Clark County WA
40 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 1
- Change in unemployment over a year
- −0.5 points
Based on 174 openings.
- 9
Snohomish County WA
29 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- American Job Centers
- 1
- Change in unemployment over a year
- +0.0 points
Based on 371 openings.
- 10
Pierce County WA
28 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 1
- American Job Centers
- 4
- Change in unemployment over a year
- +0.0 points
Based on 241 openings.
Full ranking
All 10 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | County | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deschutes County OR | 68 / 100 | 100 |
| 2 | Multnomah County OR | 67 / 100 | 843 |
| 3 | Benton County WA | 64 / 100 | 133 |
| 4 | King County WA | 59 / 100 | 8,591 |
| 5 | Washington County OR | 53 / 100 | 436 |
| 6 | Spokane County WA | 50 / 100 | 179 |
| 7 | Lane County OR | 42 / 100 | 132 |
| 8 | Clark County WA | 40 / 100 | 174 |
| 9 | Snohomish County WA | 29 / 100 | 371 |
| 10 | Pierce County WA | 28 / 100 | 241 |
How this ranking works
A county's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked counties (100 is first, 0 is last): openings per 100 unemployed 40%, american job centers 20%, change in unemployment over a year 20%, private-sector job growth since 2022 20%.
Openings are our professional roles placed in the county of the city their posting names; unemployment is BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted; jobs and sectors are BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is Census; American Job Centers are from CareerOneStop. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here.
Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force, 100 openings, 500 unemployed people and 50,000 residents are ranked.
Sample bar: counties with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles by county; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; CareerOneStop American Job Center directory. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which county ranks first: best counties for laid-off professionals in the pacific northwest?
- Deschutes County is the best all-round county for laid-off professionals in the Pacific Northwest, with a score of 68 / 100.
- How many counties are ranked?
- 10 counties have at least 100 openings, so the list has 10 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A county's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked counties (100 is first, 0 is last): openings per 100 unemployed 40%, american job centers 20%, change in unemployment over a year 20%, private-sector job growth since 2022 20%. Openings are our professional roles placed in the county of the city their posting names; unemployment is BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted; jobs and sectors are BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; population is Census; American Job Centers are from CareerOneStop. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here. Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force, 100 openings, 500 unemployed people and 50,000 residents are ranked.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Pacific Northwest
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Pacific Northwest
- Cities with the most jobs that need no experience in the Pacific Northwest
- Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the Pacific Northwest
- Cities with the most hybrid jobs in the Pacific Northwest
- Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Pacific Northwest
- Best counties for laid-off professionals
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-counties-for-laid-off-professionals-in-the-pacific-northwest">Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Pacific Northwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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