Employers Report More Than 50,000 Job Vacancies in the Spring

Oregon businesses reported 53,300 job vacancies in spring 2015. That's the largest number of vacancies ever captured by the Oregon Job Vacancy Survey, and an increase of 6,400 vacancies from the prior year. The growing number of vacancies reflects continued strength in Oregon's labor market.

The ratio of unemployed Oregonians to vacancies dropped to 2-to-1 in the spring. This ratio is consistent with a strong economy: Oregon last saw an unemployed-to-vacancy ratio this low in spring 2008.

Amid solid economic growth and with many available job openings, employers are having a harder time finding the workers they need. Statewide, businesses reported 61 percent of job vacancies as difficult to fill in the spring. That's the highest percentage in the two and a half years of the quarterly Job Vacancy Survey.

Central Oregon businesses reported 6,300 vacancies this spring. That's 2,600 more compared with spring 2014. The area's total was boosted by vacancies for wildland firefighters and leisure and hospitality workers. Central Oregon also reported the highest share of difficult-to-fill vacancies, at 71 percent.

Job vacancies for nine sub-state areas are available by clicking on the columns in the graph below.

For more information about the Oregon Job Vacancy Survey, contact Senior Analyst Gail Krumenauer.