High Tech Employment Totals 91,000 in 2018.

The core high-tech industry is a crucial and dynamic piece of Oregon's economy. Core high-tech industries are defined as industries with a concentration of STEM employment at least five times higher than the national average for all industries. In December 2018, private-sector employment in core high-tech industries reached 92,634, and those employers paid more than $893 million in wages to the state's workers.

Like most sectors, high tech saw significant employment losses during the Great Recession. Core high-tech employment peaked at 81,389 in July 2008 and began rapidly declining, reaching a trough of 71,024 in February 2010. From peak to trough, the industry shed more than 10,000 jobs – 13 percent of its workforce. In contrast, total employment across all industries during the same period declined by 9 percent. Fortunately, the industry has rebounded significantly since and surpassed its pre-recession peak employment in mid-2014.

Core high tech accounts for 5.5 percent of all covered private-sector employment statewide. Across its sub-sectors, employment varies greatly. Almost one-third of core high-tech employment in Oregon is in semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing. In fact, employment in this industry is over six times more concentrated in Oregon than it is nationally. Other large industries of employment include computer systems design, architectural and engineering services, and software publishers.

Read workforce analyst Emily Starbuck's full article here to learn more.