How to COUNTIF cells is blank or contains specific text?

[CarlStephens]

Hello All,

I am pulling my hair out with this one.

I have a range of cells that contain x3 "Rehired" and x2 blank cells, and I am using the COUNTIF formula that =COUNTIF(EPS'!$Z$3:$Z$5000,{"","Rehired"}) to count them, but this formula is not returning the total expected, which should be x5.

If I change it to =COUNTIF(EPS'!$Z$3:$Z$5000,"Rehired"), then it counts x3 as expected, and if I change it to =COUNTIF(EPS'!$Z$3:$Z$5000,"") then it counts it as x2 as expected.

But this =COUNTIF(EPS'!$Z$3:$Z$5000,{"","Rehired"}) formula only returns a total of x2 and I cannot figure it out, any help will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[gordsky]

Maybe something like this

=SUM(COUNTIF(EPS'!$Z$3:$Z$5000, {"","Rehired"}))