Best county job markets for job seekers in the Pacific Northwest
Key facts
- #1 Benton County, WA: 91 / 100
- #2 Deschutes County, OR: 73 / 100
- #3 Clark County, WA: 62 / 100
- 10 counties ranked in the Pacific Northwest
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Benton County WA91 / 100
- 2Deschutes County OR73 / 100
- 3Clark County WA62 / 100
- 4Spokane County WA61 / 100
- 5King County WA47 / 100
- 6Washington County OR44 / 100
- 7Snohomish County WA42 / 100
- 8Multnomah County OR38 / 100
- 9Lane County OR22 / 100
- 10Pierce County WA21 / 100
What stands out
- The lead is wide: Benton County (91 / 100) is well clear of Pierce County at #10 (21 / 100).
- Deschutes County reaches #2 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
A good job market is more than one number. This list weighs openings per unemployed person, the unemployment rate, job growth and population growth, with the weights shown.
How to use it
Use it to shortlist counties to research. Open the county page for the employers, colleges and job centers behind the score.
The top 25
- 1
Benton County WA
91 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 4
- Unemployment rate
- 3.5%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +5.9%
Based on 133 openings.
- 2
Deschutes County OR
73 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 3.9%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +5.3%
Based on 100 openings.
- 3
Clark County WA
62 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +3.3%
Based on 174 openings.
- 4
Spokane County WA
61 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +1.6%
Based on 179 openings.
- 5
King County WA
47 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 13
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −2.2%
Based on 8,591 openings.
- 6
Washington County OR
44 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 3
- Unemployment rate
- 4.1%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −1.6%
Based on 436 openings.
- 7
Snohomish County WA
42 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 4.9%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +4.6%
Based on 371 openings.
- 8
Multnomah County OR
38 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 4
- Unemployment rate
- 4.3%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −2.8%
Based on 843 openings.
- 9
Lane County OR
22 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 2
- Unemployment rate
- 4.4%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- −0.1%
Based on 132 openings.
- 10
Pierce County WA
21 / 100
- Openings per 100 unemployed
- 1
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Private-sector job growth since 2022
- +3.3%
Based on 241 openings.
Full ranking
All 10 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | County | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benton County WA | 91 / 100 | 133 |
| 2 | Deschutes County OR | 73 / 100 | 100 |
| 3 | Clark County WA | 62 / 100 | 174 |
| 4 | Spokane County WA | 61 / 100 | 179 |
| 5 | King County WA | 47 / 100 | 8,591 |
| 6 | Washington County OR | 44 / 100 | 436 |
| 7 | Snohomish County WA | 42 / 100 | 371 |
| 8 | Multnomah County OR | 38 / 100 | 843 |
| 9 | Lane County OR | 22 / 100 | 132 |
| 10 | Pierce County WA | 21 / 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 30%, unemployment rate 25%, private-sector job growth since 2022 25%, population growth since 2020 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; Census Bureau population estimates. 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 county job markets for job seekers in the pacific northwest?
- Benton County is the best all-round county for job seekers in the Pacific Northwest, with a score of 91 / 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 30%, unemployment rate 25%, private-sector job growth since 2022 25%, population growth since 2020 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 county job markets for job seekers
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best county job markets for job seekers in the Pacific Northwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-county-job-markets-in-the-pacific-northwest
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-county-job-markets-in-the-pacific-northwest">Best county job markets for job seekers in the Pacific Northwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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