In Celebration of Manufacturing Day: Manufacturing in Oregon

In celebration of Manufacturing Day, here are some facts about manufacturing in Oregon.

In August 2019, 205,200 people were employed in Oregon's manufacturing sector, making up more than 10 percent of Oregon's total nonfarm employment.

Nearly one out of five (19.4%) of Oregon's manufacturing workers in 2018 worked in computer and electronic product manufacturing. The next largest detailed sectors of manufacturing employment were food product manufacturing (15.3%), and wood product manufacturing (12.15%).

Oregon's manufacturing sector is made up of more than twice as large a share of employment in computer and electronic product manufacturing than the U.S. (19% vs. 8%) and three times as large a share in wood product manufacturing (12% vs. 3%).

Manufacturing wages averaged $70,641 in 2018, 33 percent higher than Oregon's all-industry average.

To learn more about manufacturing in Oregon, check out Projections Economist Felicia Bechtoldt's article here.

Earn While You Learn in a High-Wage, High-Demand Job with Apprenticeship Training

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.

This article was written by workforce analyst Shawna Sykes.