Payroll Up in Columbia Basin Region During 2008

Payrolls in the Columbia Basin Region rose to $1.12 billion in 2008, while wages inched up 1.0 percent to average $32,817. Oregon’s average pay was significantly higher, climbing above $40,000 to $40,486 in 2008.

Morrow County lost payroll in 2008 – falling $1.7 million to total $150.2 million. But during the prior seven years, Morrow County’s payroll grew from $83.9 million in 2000 to $151.9 million in 2007. Another reason to ignore last year’s moderate 1.1 percent payroll loss was that Morrow County’s job total actually climbed by 43 to average 4,220. In reality, construction was the reason for the payroll loss.

Umatilla County’s payroll climbed to $965.7 million in 2008, an increase of $20.6 million or 2.2 percent. Umatilla County managed a payroll gain despite a loss of $9.7 million or 8.9 percent in manufacturing. Construction was also in the red, cutting around $3 million to total $34 million. Several private industries performed well in 2008 but government was the real difference maker, gaining $12.3 million or 4.2 percent to total $301.4 million. Nearly all of the government gain was in the local government portion, where payrolls climbed by 9.7 million.


Read the full article about the region's payroll data, written by Regional Economist Dallas Fridley.