Oregon Jobs Projected to Increase by 9 Percent by 2029

Oregon’s total employment will grow by 181,800 jobs between 2019 and 2029, according to new projections from the Oregon Employment Department. The projections point to modest job growth between 2019 and 2029, although many job openings are expected due to the need to replace workers who leave their occupations.

In 2019, there were 2,120,000 jobs in Oregon. The 9 percent increase in employment between 2019 and 2029 includes private-sector gains of 156,400 jobs, growth of 16,500 jobs in government, and an additional 8,900 self-employed Oregonians.

Beyond gains from economic growth, another 255,300 job openings will be created on average each year through 2029 to replace workers who retire, leave the labor force for other reasons, or make a major occupational change. Together, the number of job openings due to economic growth and replacements will total an annual average of 273,500.

All private sectors in Oregon are expected to add jobs by 2029. Private health care and social assistance will lead all industries in new job growth. The gain of 46,300 new jobs (15% growth) in health care can be attributed to continued growth and aging of the state’s population. Healthcare will account for one out of every five new jobs created in Oregon by 2029.

Health care also tops the list of Oregon’s fastest-growing occupations over the 10-year period. Healthcare occupations and those associated with healthcare, including mental health, account for 13 of the 20 fastest-growing occupations from 2019 to 2029 among occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Oregon. Oregon’s second fastest-growing industry will be professional and business services (13% growth).

A broad variety of career opportunities will be available across all sectors as well as all job types. One-third of all job openings will require education or training beyond high school at the typical entry-level education. To meet more competitive education requirements, nearly half of all job openings require at least some training beyond high school.

All areas of Oregon expect to see job opportunities due to both economic growth and to replace workers leaving the labor force in the coming years. The two regions projected to grow at the fastest rates are Central Oregon (12%) and the Portland area (11%).

Additional Information
The Oregon Employment Department’s 2019-2029 employment projections are long-term projections intended to capture structural change in the economy, not cyclical fluctuations. As such, they are not intended to project the full impacts of the COVID-19 recession and its recovery.

Read the full press release or check out our projections page for additional information.
For questions, contact Projections Economist Felicia Bechtoldt.