Background: Employment status has an impact on health and is a source of health inequalities. But little is known about its impact on the health of people residing in the County of Västernorrland, Sweden. The recent economic recession affected this region in a way which worsened the already existing unemployment rate.Objective of the study: This study aimed to examine the relationship between employment status, gender and self-reported health in the County of Västernorrland, Sweden in the year 2010.Setting and Design: The study used data from a cross-sectional "Health on Equal Terms" survey, carried in the County of Västernorrland in 2010. A total of 6,050 women and men aged 16-65 years were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed, and results were expressed as odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals.Results: Women and men who were out of work had odds of poor self-reported health of 2.31 (CI 1.94-2.94) and 2.39 (CI 1.96-2.58), respectively. Controlling for other variables reduced the odds of poor health, but the relationship continued to be statistically significant.Conclusion: Results of this study found that at the pick of the most recent economic crises there were equal odds of poor self-reported health among women and men residing in Gävleborg County. The observed association was to some extent explained by demographic, socioeconomic and health-related variables. Policymakers need to pay attention to the health status of those out of work, particularly during times of economic recession and hardship.