Lane County food & beverage industries add jobs during the recession

As Lane County's economy continues to crawl out of a recession marked by large losses in manufacturing, a look back shows that both food manufacturing and beverage manufacturing were among the few industries to add jobs over the recessionary period.

Food and beverage manufacturing tend to be stable in recessions. At one level, basic food purchases are not discretionary. Lane County manufacturers supply those basic food items at companies such as Lochmead Dairy and Franz bakery. At another level, however, Lane County food and beverage manufacturers have innovated and taken advantage of trends such as organic and artisan foods, local wine, and craft brewing.

From 2007 to 2009, annual average manufacturing employment in Lane County declined by 7,345 (-40%). Over the same period, the combined food and beverage industries added 189 jobs (+11%). Food manufacturing added 90 jobs in the 2007 to 2009 period. Beverage manufacturing grew even more rapidly, adding 99 jobs.

Read more about Lane County's food and beverage manufacturing in the full article, written by Regional Economist Brian Rooney (Brian.T.Rooney@state.or.us 541-686-7703).