Employment in the Oregon's Fishing Industry

Oregon’s commercial fishing industry fell to about an average level in 2017. Harvests have been averaging $147 million (2017 dollars) per year since 2010 – after adjusting for inflation. Total landed value was $144 million in 2017. This was down from $152 million in 2016. The decrease was mainly due to the drop in the pink shrimp harvest, and the salmon harvest also fell. The pacific whiting (hake) harvest rose, and the crab and groundfish harvest also increased in 2017. Other fisheries combined for a modest decrease. Overall revenue dropped even though landed volume was up for the year.

There were an estimated 1,330 commercial fishers in Oregon on an annual average basis in 2017. This was down from 1,438 in 2016 and was not too surprising given the decrease in harvests.

Estimating employment in fishing is more difficult than measuring the harvests. Legislation in 1999 allowed most fishermen to be exempt from unemployment insurance coverage – the primary source of employment data. The Oregon Employment Department now estimates the number of fishers based on a combination of survey data and the number of commercial fish landings made. This method was new for 2014 and resulted in a lower employment estimate than before.

The estimated number of fishers varied from a high of 1,784 in July to a low of 520 in November. Five coastal counties – Clatsop, Lincoln, Coos, Curry, and Tillamook – had 96 percent of the total employment, based on where landings occur. Perhaps even more surprising is that some interior counties, such as Jefferson and Washington, had any commercial fishing employment. These jobs are often based on crayfish harvests. The most important fisheries for employment are crab, salmon, and albacore tuna. Commercial fishers harvested more than 100 different species in 2017.

To learn more about the commercial fishing landings and revenue, read the full article "Oregon’s Commercial Fishing in 2017" by Regional Economist Erik Knoder.