Each year we summarize the key findings from our job vacancy survey into a report, with specific emphasis on the challenges businesses face filling their job vacancies. In 2017, Oregon businesses reported 60,700 job vacancies at any given time in 2017. Of these vacancies, 38,700 job openings (64%) were reported as difficult to fill.
For each of their difficult-to-fill vacancies, employers offered open-ended responses to identify what they thought was the primary reason for the unfilled opening. A lack of applicants was the most common challenge filling vacancies. Nearly one out of every three (30%) difficult-to-fill job vacancies had an insufficient number of applicants or no applicants at all. That makes sense, given the state's continued job growth and historic low unemployment rate. The point was made clear by the construction business that was having difficulty hiring heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers because, “The heating industry is busy and anyone who has experience is already working elsewhere.”
A lack of qualified candidates was the second most common reason given by businesses for their difficulty filling vacancies. It was the primary reason given for 6,100 vacancies and represented 17 percent of all difficult-to-fill vacancies. Some referenced very specific qualifications or specialized knowledge within a particular occupation and specific setting, such as the bank with a difficult-to-fill loan officer vacancy that mentioned, “Mortgage underwriting with government loan experience is rare and in high demand.”
Unfavorable working conditions was the main reason businesses reported difficulty filling nearly
5,000 vacancies, and represented 14 percent of all hard-to-fill vacancies. These vacancies were for jobs that employers candidly reported were not the best working conditions for most people
because they had inconsistent shifts, part-time only shifts, or were physically demanding jobs.
Examples included vacancies at a Mid-Valley farm where the job
was physically demanding and the workers “must be comfortable working with chickens, around
manure, etc.”
Businesses said the lack of soft skills among
applicants was the primary reason for difficulty
filling nearly 4,000 vacancies, which was 11
percent of all difficult-to-fill vacancies. Soft skills
include professional competencies required for
a job, such as communication, interpersonal,
and social skills. In the Job Vacancy Survey it
included employer responses related to subjective
traits such as honesty, reliability, and
motivation. It also included more quantifiable
traits such as having a valid driver’s license
and clean driving record, passing a background
check, and passing a drug screen.
A lack of previous work experience was given by business as the primary cause that 3,200 vacancies
were difficult to fill, which totaled 9 percent of all difficult-to-fill vacancies. Most businesses
value applicants with previous work experience and it is a big contributor in making vacancies
difficult to fill. There are far fewer experienced workers looking for
jobs now than a few years ago when the unemployment
rate was much higher, and this is making it difficult to fill
vacancies across a wide variety of occupations.
Occupations with the largest number of vacancies that, according to businesses, were difficult-to-fill
because of low wages, tended to (understandably) be low-wage occupations. Personal care aides topped the
list with 392 vacancies that were difficult to fill due to low wages.
