Vacancies Exist Despite Large Cutbacks

In the spring of 2009, employers in Oregon reported having 18,242 open job vacancies that needed to be filled. Despite the fact that over 100,000 nonfarm jobs had been lost since the recession started in December 2007 and that 12.2 percent of the statewide labor force was unemployed, the 2009 Oregon Job Vacancy Survey found that employers were still in need of workers with the right training, skills, and experience.

The effects of the recession were clearly evident in the 2009 survey results. Last year the survey found 47,888 vacancies, more than two and a half times this year's estimated number of vacancies. The drop in the number of help wanted signs is discouraging. At the same time, results from the survey show that even when the economy is in deep recession, there are still thousands of opportunities for workers across a broad variety of fields.

Highlights from the survey:
· Job vacancies were found in all the major industrial groups, and nearly 6,000 were in health care

· Oregon employers had vacancies in nearly 400 different occupations representing everything from accountants to word processors and typists. With over 1,000 vacancies (11% of the total), nurses topped the list.


· Employers were generally looking for workers with experience to fill their vacancies

· Half of the vacancies were in the Portland area


Get all the details in the full report, written by senior analyst Nick Beleiciks(Nick.J.Beleiciks@state.or.us or 503-947-1267)