Oregonians are Losing Ground to the Average American

There is a ton of economic news published every day - facts, figures, tables, graphs - all of which may be difficult to apply to your daily life. Let's face it, the average person only cares about one thing: Do I have enough money to buy the things I need and want?

Unfortunately Oregonians are losing ground to the average American when it comes to how much money they have. In 2008, the average Oregon resident earned just 91% of what the average American earned. Not only do Oregonians have less money, the amount of money they earn each year is growing at a much slower rate than the nation - indicating that we are falling further behind in our personal wealth. In fact, the year 1980 was the last time that Oregon's per capita personal income was on par with the national average - and the gap has been getting wider every year since the late '90s!

This article gives a detailed analysis of Oregon's per capita personal income compared to other states and the nation. Some time next month the article will be followed with an analysis of Oregon's counties.