Help Wanted in Eastern Oregon

November 06, 2026

According to Job Opening Trends in Help Wanted Online Ads, total online ads in Eastern Oregon peaked at 4,040 in May 2026, and steadily decreased to 3,280 by August, a nearly 19% drop. Online ads slightly rebounded back to 3,520 in September.

The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) Index measures changes over time in advertised online job vacancies, reflecting monthly trends in employment opportunities. The HWOL Data Series aggregates the total number of ads available by month, collected in real-time from over 50,000 online job domains including traditional job boards, corporate boards, social media sites, and smaller job sites that serve niche markets and smaller geographic areas.Umatilla County had the highest number of online job ads in September 2026 with 1,640, accounting for nearly 47% of the total online ads for Eastern Oregon.Often seen as a leading indicator of employers’ intentions to hire, the HWOL Index may struggle to more adequately depict rural counties such as Grant, Harney, and Wallowa which tend to utilize more word-of-mouth practices than online methods. Naturally, these counties are likely to reveal lower HWOL Index numbers than what employers are truly looking for.