In July 2020, 35 of Oregon’s 36 counties experienced over-the-month decreases in their unemployment rates. In 19 counties, unemployment rates dropped by 1 percentage point or more. Clatsop County experienced the largest over-the-month decrease at 2.6 percentage points. Counties with the smallest percentage point changes in their unemployment rates since June 2020 include Lake (+/-0.0pp), and Harney, Malheur, and Union (-0.2pp each).
Lincoln County had Oregon’s highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 15.2 percent. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates in July include Clatsop (12.9%), Multnomah (12.7%), and Curry (11.9%).
Wheeler County registered the lowest unemployment rate for the month at 5.3 percent. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in July were Morrow (6.0%) and Malheur (7.1%). Twenty-four counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide rate of 10.4 percent. Twenty-two counties also had unemployment rates at or below the national rate of 10.2 percent.
Total nonfarm payroll employment declined sharply in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between July 2019 and July 2020. The largest job losses occurred in the Coast region (-13.6%). Central Oregon (-9.0%), Portland-5 (-8.9%), and the Willamette Valley (-7.0%) also experienced large over-the-year employment losses.
Not interested in going to college? Do you like learning in a hands-on environment while earning money at the same time? An apprenticeship might be a great training opportunity for you.
But how do you decide which apprenticeship program to pursue? Some things to consider when you are contemplating career choices are whether there will likely be job openings available once you complete your training and whether the job pays enough to support your needs. We can help you with that.
The table includes those jobs where paid apprenticeships are offered to help you learn the skills of the job. This list only includes occupations that are considered to be in high demand and offer high wages in Oregon. There are other apprenticeships available but they may not be considered high-wage and high-demand jobs.
For more information about apprenticeship opportunities in Oregon, visit the apprenticeship website of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.
Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in May, from 4.3 percent in April. Oregon’s unemployment rate has been between 4.0 percent and 4.4 percent for 31 months, dating back to November 2016. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in both April and May.
During this economic expansion, Oregon’s unemployment rate has been lower than at any time since comparable records began in 1976. The previous low was reached in January and February 1995 when Oregon’s rate touched 4.7 percent. In addition to the very low level of Oregon’s unemployment rate, it has been lower longer than ever before. Since the late-1970s, during the prior five economic expansions, the unemployment rate would generally drop to a bottom in the cycle and then start moving upward within a few months. In contrast, during the past three years, Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped down close to 4 percent, remaining near there for 31 consecutive months.
In May, Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment rose 1,200 jobs, following a gain of 4,000 jobs in April. Monthly gains for May were strongest in health care and social assistance, which added 900 jobs, and in construction and government, which each added 600 jobs. Two industries cut jobs modestly in May: private educational services (-500 jobs) and retail trade (-400 jobs).
Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment rose 5,700 jobs in March, following a decline of 1,200 jobs in February. Five major industries each added close to 1,000 jobs in March: professional and business services (+1,300 jobs), government (+1,100), health care and social assistance (+900), other services (+800), and leisure and hospitality (+700). None of the major industries cut a substantial number of jobs in March.
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in March, unchanged from 4.4 percent in February. For 29 consecutive months, dating back to November 2016, Oregon’s unemployment rate has been between 4.0 percent and 4.4 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in both February and March of this year.
Job gains in recent months are an indication of continued moderate economic expansion in Oregon, despite the tight labor market as was evident from the near-record low unemployment rate.
Oregon-made products have secured a spot on store shelves around the country, and even the world. Some of these products have obvious Oregon roots, tasty things like marionberry jam, cheese, fine wines, and beers that say ‘Oregon’ right on the label. Some Oregon-made products remain out of view, however. For example, components in the device you’re reading this article with might have been made right here in Oregon. Whether you can see it on the label or not, Oregon’s manufacturing sector produces products ranging from basic wooden pellets to precise aerospace parts. The diverse sector is a fundamental component of the state’s identity, and will remain so as it continues to grow.
A manufacturing establishment is defined as an establishment that mechanically, physically, or chemically transforms material, substances, or components into new products. In the third quarter of 2018, Oregon was home to 6,284 manufacturing establishments, providing the state with 198,000 jobs.
Oregon’s manufacturing sector is growing more quickly than the nation’s. Since its lowest employment level in February and March 2010, manufacturing employment in Oregon has grown by 23 percent compared with the nation’s 12 percent. Over the year, Oregon saw manufacturing growth of 2.6 percent, higher than the nation’s 2.0 percent. However, as of January 2019 manufacturing employment in Oregon is still 8,500 jobs below its pre-recession peak in July 2006.
On top of faster growth, Oregon’s manufacturing sector is also a larger component of the economy than it is for the nation. While manufacturing made up 8.5 percent of payroll employment in the United States in 2018, it made up 10.2 percent of Oregon’s employment.
To learn more about Oregon's manufacturing sector, read the full article written by Projections Economist Felicia Bechtoldt.
Benton County had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.4 percent in February 2019. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in February included Washington (3.7%) and Hood River (3.8%). Only these three counties had unemployment rates at or below the national rate of 3.8 percent. Seven of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates below the statewide rate of 4.4 percent.
Grant County registered the highest unemployment rate for the month at 8.7 percent. Other counties with some of the highest unemployment rates in February were Klamath (7.4%) and Harney (7.1%).
The February 2019 unemployment rates of all of Oregon’s counties were higher than they were in February 2018. The largest changes from the previous year were in Wheeler (+1.8%), Grant (+1.7%), and Gilliam (+1.6%).
Oregon had the 16th fastest job growth among the states from January 2018 to January 2019. Adding 29,500 jobs for a growth rate of 1.5 percent, Oregon’s respectable job growth was slower than first ranked Nevada (+3.9%), and neighboring Washington (+2.5%) and Idaho (+2.4%). California ranked 17th with a growth rate of 1.4 percent. Oregon’s job growth rate last year was slightly slower than the overall national rate of 1.7 percent.
Job growth rankings by industry sector show that two sectors of Oregon’s economy added jobs fast enough to rank in the top 10 of states. Oregon’s government sector grew 1.6 percent over the last 12 months, just slightly faster than the private-sector growth rate of 1.5 percent. Government job growth was driven by gains in local government and state government. It was enough for Oregon to place third in government job growth behind first place Delaware and second place Utah.
Oregon’s manufacturing sector added jobs at a rate of 3.4 percent over the last year. That was fast enough to rank eighth among the states. Oregon’s manufacturing job growth over the last year was led by computer and electronic product manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, and primary metal manufacturing. The ambiguously named other services sector cut jobs at a rate of 0.3 percent in Oregon. This loss was mostly due to a reduction of jobs in repair and maintenance businesses. Thirteen other states lost jobs in other services, so Oregon ranked 38th among the states, despite the job losses.
Job figures for the information sector are not available for all states, so a fair ranking across all states is not available and the sector is not included in the graph. Oregon’s information sector cut jobs at a rate of 0.3 percent over the year. The job losses were in telecommunications and at newspaper, book, and directory publishers.
Oregon’s minimum wage levels were set by Senate Bill 1532 in 2016. The minimum wage increases on July 1st of each year through 2022. There are three tiers of step increases based on geography.
Oregon’s most recent minimum wage increase came on July 1, 2018, but the raises weren’t the same across the state. Minimum wage increased to $12.00 per hour inside the Portland urban growth boundary, $10.50 per hour in non-urban counties, and $10.75 in other areas of the state.
Minimum wage jobs are more common in some types of work. There are around 361,300 jobs in Oregon that pay $12.00 per hour or less. This represents 20 percent of all Oregon jobs.
Two occupations employ more than 30,000 workers with wages below $12.00 per hour: retail salespersons and cashiers. Food preparation and serving workers, along with waiters and waitresses, each have more than 20,000 workers with wages below $12.00. Dishwashers have the largest percentage of their total occupational employment making $12.00 per hour or less, with 78 percent of the jobs in this occupation below the threshold.
Benton County had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.3 percent in November 2018. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in November included Hood River (3.4%), Washington (3.4%), and Multnomah (3.6%).
Seven of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide unemployment rate of 3.9 percent and four were at or below the national rate of 3.7 percent. Eastern and Southern Oregon had higher unemployment rates in November 2018, which were still close to their record low unemployment rates since 1990.
Grant County registered the highest unemployment rate for the month at 7.1 percent, which was 1 percentage higher than Grant’s lowest unemployment rate since comparable records began in 1990. Harney County’s unemployment rate improved over the year by 0.7 percentage point, more than any other county.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose
in all six of Oregon’s broad regions
between November 2017 and November
2018. The largest job gains occurred in
Central Oregon (+2.3%). The Willamette
Valley (+1.9%), Southern Oregon (+1.4%),
the Portland area (+1.3%), the Oregon
Coast (+0.8%), and Eastern Oregon
(+0.7%) also added jobs.
Press releases for all Oregon areas are available here.
About 3.1 million Oregonians held a driver’s license in Oregon in 2018 and the state had more than 4.1 million registered vehicles. That doesn’t include vehicles registered elsewhere that travel into the state. That’s a lot of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and motor homes on the road with the potential to break down and need some kind of servicing or require regularly scheduled preventative maintenance.
Automotive repair and maintenance was one of many industries that were unable to escape the recession from 2007 to 2009. From peak employment in 2007 to 2017, this industry lost 2.5 percent of jobs in the private sector, while total payroll employment in Oregon’s private sector saw a job gain of 9.6 percent. In 2007, the industry employed about 12,800 workers. By 2017, employment stood at about 12,400 workers. The industry experienced a post-recession low in 2010 with 10,800 jobs. Since then, employment has increased 14.9 percent.
The automotive repair and maintenance industry has not kept pace with job growth in the general economy since 2001. Prior to the recession, employment in Oregon’s private sector grew about three times as fast as the automotive repair and maintenance industry. During the recession, the automotive repair and maintenance industry saw a larger employment decline (-12.6%) than Oregon’s private sector (-8.7%). During the post-recession recovery, the private sector grew faster than the industry, 21.1 percent compared with 14.9 percent.
Read more about the automotive repair and maintenance industry in the article written by Workforce Analyst Sarah Cunningham.
Oregon’s unemployment rate edged up to 3.9 percent in November from 3.8 percent in October. Oregon’s unemployment rate has been close to 4 percent for the past two years. The U.S. unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent in both October and November.
In November, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 2,400 jobs, following a revised gain of 4,300 jobs in October. In November, professional and business services added 3,300 jobs and government added 700. Wholesale trade cut 900 jobs. No other major industry registered an over-the-month change of more than 600 jobs.
Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 36,600 jobs, or 1.9 percent, since November 2017. In that time, construction remained the fastest growing industry, with a gain of 7,700 jobs, or 7.7 percent. Professional and business services also grew rapidly, adding 8,200 jobs, or 3.3 percent. Health care and social assistance added 4,700 jobs, or 2.0 percent. However, several of Oregon’s major industries slowed recently. Leisure and hospitality (+1,500 jobs, or 0.7%) expanded at less than half the rate of overall employment. And two industries declined over the year: retail trade (-400 jobs, or -0.2%) and private educational services (-300 jobs, or -0.8%).
As Oregon businesses struggled during the Great Recession (2007-2009) and the years to follow, the state’s grape and wine industry flourished. In 2007, there were 792 vineyards and 351 permitted or bonded wineries in the state; by 2009, that number had grown to 835 vineyards and 377 wineries. This growth has accelerated during the post-recessionary period, and by 2017, there were 1,144 vineyards and 769 Oregon wineries, of which 709 were permitted or bonded. Wine grapes ranked ninth on Oregon’s top 20 commodities list for 2017, valued at $171.7 million.
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) records counted 108 firms. For those 108 reporting vineyards, OED records showed an annual average employment of 1,179 with an annual average wage of $29,855. It should be noted that given the seasonal nature of growing, tending, and harvesting wine grapes, growers often use contract and migratory workers, who are not reported under the UI system. Thus, actual vineyard employment could be much higher.
As with vineyard employment data, OED records reflect only those enterprises participating in the UI program. In 2001, OED reported 65 wineries; by 2017, that number had increased to 329 – an increase of roughly 21 wineries per year. Between 2007 and 2009, the depths of the Great Recession, the number of reporting wineries increased from 144 to 170. Total payroll in Oregon’s wineries in 2017 was $110.7 million with an annual average wage of $34,997 (like vineyards, this includes seasonal and part-time workers).
In this time of gratitude, we give thanks for you – our readers. We are grateful for the pleasure of providing you with quality information on Oregon’s labor market so that you can make informed choices about your career, business, policy, grant, or project. On behalf of all of us at the Oregon Employment Department, Happy Thanksgiving! For Thanksgiving, we're treating you with some fun facts related to Thanksgiving.
Countries celebrating Thanksgiving and similarly named holidays
Australia (Norfolk Island), Canada, Germany, Grenada, Japan, Liberia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
657
The number of supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores in Oregon in 2017. These establishments are expected to be extremely busy around Thanksgiving as people prepare for their delightful meals.
56
The number of fruit and vegetable markets in Oregon in 2017 ─ a great place to find holiday side dishes.
1,603,635
The number of occupied housing units across Oregon in 2017 ─ potential stops for Thanksgiving dinner.
48,596
The number of multigenerational households in Oregon in 2017. It is possible these households, consisting of three or more generations, will have to purchase large quantities of food to accommodate all the family members sitting around the table for the holiday feast, even if there are no guests.
240 million
The forecasted number of turkeys raised in the U.S. in 2018 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. That is down 1.0 percent from the number raised (242.5 million) during 2017.
42.5 million
The forecasted number of turkeys raised in Minnesota in 2018. Minnesota is the top turkey producing state, followed by North Carolina (31.0 million), Arkansas (28.5 million), Indiana (20.5 million), Missouri (17.3 million), and Virginia (17.0 million).
2.1 billion pounds
The total weight of potatoes ─ another popular Thanksgiving side dish ─ harvested in Oregon in 2017. The value of potato harvest in Oregon was $168 million.
49 million pounds
The forecasted weight of cranberries produced in Oregon in 2017. The value of cranberry harvest was $12.8 million. Oregon is one of the top producing cranberry states in the U.S.
Benton, Hood River, and Washington counties had Oregon’s lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 3.3 percent in October 2018. Other counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates in October included Multnomah (3.5%), Clackamas (3.7%), and Wheeler (3.7%). Seven of Oregon’s counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide unemployment rate of 3.8 percent and six were at or below the national rate of 3.7 percent.
Eastern and Southern Oregon had higher unemployment rates in October 2018, which were still close to their record low unemployment rates since 1990.
Grant County registered the highest unemployment rate for the month at 6.6 percent, which was close to Grant’s lowest unemployment rate since comparable records began in 1990.
Sherman and Harney counties saw their unemployment rates improve over the year by 0.7 percentage point, more than any other county.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose in all six of Oregon’s broad regions between October 2017 and October 2018. The largest job gains occurred in Central Oregon (+2.8%). The Willamette Valley (+1.9%), the Portland area (+1.5%), Southern Oregon (+1.3%), the Oregon Coast (+0.5%), and Eastern Oregon (+0.5%) also added jobs.
Press releases for all Oregon areas are available here.
In October, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 4,600 jobs, following a revised gain of 4,700 jobs in September. Monthly gains in October were widespread, with nine of the top 13 industries adding jobs, led by professional and business services (+1,500 jobs); wholesale trade (+1,000 jobs); and government (+1,000 jobs). Only two major industries cut jobs substantially in October: private educational services (-800 jobs) and financial activities (-900 jobs).
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in October, the same as in August and September. These were Oregon’s lowest unemployment rates since comparable records began in 1976. The U.S. unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent in both September and October.
Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 38,100 jobs, or 2.0 percent, since October 2017. In that time, construction remained the fastest growing industry, with a gain of 8,200 jobs, or 8.2 percent. Health care and social assistance added 6,200 jobs, or 2.6 percent. Professional and business services also grew rapidly, adding 5,400 jobs, or 2.2 percent. However, three of Oregon’s major industries slowed recently, with gains close to one percent since October 2017: financial activities (+1,000 jobs, or 1.0%); leisure and hospitality (+1,700 jobs, or 0.8%); and retail trade (+1,200 jobs, or 0.6%). And two industries declined over the year: information (-100 jobs, or -0.3%) and private educational services (-800 jobs, or -2.2%).
Over the past two years, retail trade has seen multiple store closures and the bankruptcies of several major national retailers. These closures and other factors contributed to a moderation in overall retail employment growth. Since October 2016, Oregon’s retail employment grew at an annual rate of only 1.0%, which was about half the growth rate of Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment. Somewhat counterbalancing retail’s slowing was moderate growth in wholesale trade (up 2.8% in the past 12 months) and in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which grew consistently close to a three-percent annual rate over the past six years.
From all of us here at the Oregon Employment Department, we’d like to say Thank You and Happy Veterans Day to all of those who have served and continue to serve! For Veterans Day, we're treating you with a blog post on employment among Oregon's veterans.
In 2017, the unemployment rate for veterans in Oregon was 4.3 percent, according to the Current Population Survey. This was the lowest unemployment rate for veterans since 2007, when the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. Overall, Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in 2017. Across the U.S., veterans had a lower unemployment rate of 3.7 percent.
About 305,000 veterans lived in Oregon in 2017. Half of veterans (153,000) were not in the labor force. This figure could be related to the age of veterans. According to the American Community Survey, more than half of Oregon’s veterans were age 65 years or older and served in the military at least four decades ago: Vietnam War (110,668 veterans), Korean War (23,024), and World War II (9,491). Gulf-War I and II veterans accounted for 90,412.
Around 145,000 of the 152,000 veterans in the labor force were employed, with 123,000 being employed full time and 22,000 part time. About 6,000 veterans were unemployed, which accounted for 7.2 percent of the unemployed population (83,000) in the state. Over the last two decades, unemployed veterans made up between 6.9 percent and 14.6 percent of the overall unemployed population in the state.
Veterans are more likely to have a disability, but less likely to be in poverty than the general population. About 32.8 percent of Oregon’s veterans reported having a service-connected disability, compared with 15.1 percent of the total civilian population. About 8.1 percent of veterans were in poverty compared with about 12.8 percent of the total civilian population.
Nine out of 10 private-sector firms in Oregon had fewer than 20 employees in March 2018. Six out of 10 employed fewer than five.
Despite their quantity, smaller firms collectively account for a much smaller share of overall employment than their larger counterparts. For example, the 59.4 percent of firms with one to four employees represented 7.3 percent of covered employment in March 2018 and 6.2 percent of wages in the first quarter of 2018. On the other hand, the 0.3 percent of firms with at least 500 employees accounted for 27.4 percent of private-sector jobs and 35.4 percent of wages.
These distributions tend to remain stable from one year to the next, even as the overall number of firms, employees, and wages expands or contracts. This doesn’t mean that smaller firms are underperforming when it comes to job creation, or that larger firms are experiencing a bonanza. Size of firm data does not provide us with information about the dynamics of job growth. Instead, it offers a snapshot that can help us understand the roles of small and large firms in Oregon’s economy at a specific point in time.
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 3.8 percent in September, the same as in August. These were Oregon’s lowest unemployment rates since comparable records began in 1976. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped from 3.9 percent in August to 3.7 percent in September.
Oregon’s labor market was unusually tight in September, as indicated not only by the low unemployment rate, but also by the low number of Oregonians who are considered “short-term unemployed.” In September, 80,000 Oregonians were unemployed. Of those, 16,000 had been unemployed for 27 weeks or more (“long-term unemployed”), and 64,000 had been unemployed for less than 27 weeks (“short-term unemployed”). The number of short-term unemployed was quite low historically and was well below levels seen at the end of the prior expansion in 2006 and 2007, when an average of 86,000 people were categorized as short-term unemployed.
In September, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by a modest 300 jobs, following a revised gain of 2,400 jobs in August. Monthly gains in September were concentrated in leisure and hospitality (+900 jobs) and professional and business services (+800 jobs). These gains were offset by losses in retail trade (-1,300 jobs) and wholesale trade (-800 jobs).
Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment increased by 40,200 jobs, or 2.1 percent, since September 2017. This growth rate is very close to the 2.2 percent annual growth rate the state has experienced over the prior 21 months, cooling off from the 3.0 percent average annual growth rate seen during the prior three years dating back to 2013.
In the United States, 74 percent of workers have access to paid sick leave through their employers. About the same share has access to paid vacation (75%) and paid holidays (77%). This access varies between the public and private sectors. In private industry, 71 percent of workers have access to paid sick leave and more than three-quarters of workers have access to paid vacation and paid holidays. Among state and local government employees, access to paid sick leave (91%) far outweighs access to paid vacation and holidays (61% and 68%, respectively).
These figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey, which includes very little detail at the sub-national level. Oregon is grouped with the Pacific West region, which includes Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Access to paid sick leave benefits is a bit more widespread in this area of the country compared with the national average.
Almost nine out of 10 workers in the Pacific West region have access to paid sick leave. Access to paid holidays and to paid vacation in the Pacific West matches the national average. Access to all paid leave benefits is more prevalent than the national average in the regional public sector, while the region’s private-sector workforce is more likely than the national average to have access to paid sick leave (86%) and very similar to the nation in terms of access to paid vacation and paid holidays.
Full-time workers – those working 35 hours per week or more at their primary job – are far more likely to have access to paid leave benefits than part-time workers. Eighty-five percent of full-time workers have access to paid sick leave, and even more have paid vacation and holidays. Among part-time workers, 40 percent have access to paid sick leave, 38 percent have paid vacation, and 43 percent have paid holidays.
Union-represented workers are more likely to have access to sick leave and slightly more likely to have paid holidays, but union representation doesn’t raise the access to paid vacation. Nine out of 10 union-represented workers had access to sick leave in March 2018, compared with 71 percent of non-union workers. Access to paid holidays reached 81 percent of union workers and 76 percent of non-union workers. The same share had access to paid vacation, at 75 percent in both union and non-union operations.
The workers with the lowest wages also have the least access to paid leave benefits through their employers. Access to paid sick leave has a direct positive relationship with earnings, with each step up in earnings quartile matched by improved access to paid sick leave. In contrast, for paid vacation and paid holidays, this relationship only holds for the shift between the lowest paid and the next quartile, with the highest half of earners having about as much access to paid vacation and paid holidays as the second 25 percent.
