Migration Patterns in the Past Five Years

Oregon is an in-migration state. For many years, more people have moved into Oregon each year than have moved out of the state. This population growth fuels the expansion of our cities and brings new brain power to foster the economic engine of Oregon’s future. Workers in some occupational groups are more likely to move than others. Where do these in-migrants come from? And when Oregonians leave, where do they go?

The largest occupational groups also have the largest net in-migration numbers. The top 10 occupational groups by net in-migration include the top nine groups by total employment size in Oregon. These occupations employ a lot of workers, so it isn’t surprising that many of the people moving to Oregon are working in these types of jobs. Smaller occupation groups tend to have lower levels of net in-migration.

Across occupation groups, net in-migration numbers typically account for between 1 percent and 4 percent of the groups’ estimated 2013 to 2017 labor force. At the low end, with net in-migration averaging about 1 percent of total employment, are occupations like protective service; construction and extraction; and installation, maintenance, and repair. Occupations with a more sizeable net in-migration impact averaging about 4 percent of statewide employment include food preparation and serving; and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media.

To learn more about migration patterns in Oregon, read the article written by Employment Economist Jessica Nelson.