Employment

Twenty-three percent of jobs in Oregon fall into the STEM category (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). You can view the relationship between employment and wages of STEM occupations with the career explorer tool on QualityInfo.org. Chances are, you have heard the term STEM, but exactly what is a STEM job? Several definitions exist. While all are focused…

Oregon’s median household income reached $81,149 in 2021, which is higher than the U.S. median household income of $70,985. Median household income is an important reflection of economic well-being that’s based on the multiple income streams of people who live together. It can be used to compare the income of Oregonians over time, with the…

Although most people work in full-time jobs, around 19% of employed Oregonians usually worked part-time schedules in 2022. People work part time for a variety of reasons. Part-time jobs offer flexibility for some who seek a job that fits their circumstances, such as students, those looking for additional income from seasonal work, or a spouse…

Oregon’s workforce is aging. The number of Oregon jobs held by workers age 55 and over more than tripled from 1992 to 2021, while their total number of jobs grew by slightly more than half (51%). Workers 55 years and over held 10% of all jobs in 1992. By 2021, that share increased to 24%.…

What do skyscrapers, automobiles, rockets, and ships have in common? In all likelihood, they have all been welded. According to the American Welding Society, an estimated 50% of the United States gross national product is affected by welding. Anything made of metal, no matter how big or small, can be welded. Skyscrapers, bridges, and highways would…

Earnings in Oregon increased sharply over the past year, surpassing the high rate of inflation. Total private average hourly earnings increased by 9.1% between February 2022 and February 2023. This growth rate was much higher than the comparable national growth in private earnings of 4.6% in that same 12-month period, and faster than the U.S.…

In January, unemployment rates increased in 27 of Oregon’s counties over the month, remained constant in seven, and decreased in two. Seventeen counties had unemployment rates at or below the statewide unemployment rate of 4.8%, and one county had a rate at or below the U.S. rate of 3.4%. Grant County had Oregon’s highest seasonally…

The U.S. Census Bureau recently started the Annual Business Survey to supplement its once-every-five-years Economic Census survey of business owners. The results of both efforts provide insightful information about business ownership by gender, race, and ethnicity not available through any other source. Majority of Firms Are Male-Owned In 2020, the Annual Business Survey captured information…

Finding a job is easier if you know where the employers are. The Employer Database tool on QualityInfo.org can help with this. This tool provides information about over 300,000 businesses in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Northern California. The Employer Database can be searched in two ways: By employer name By industry There are also several options to…

The poverty rate across the U.S. reached 12.8% in 2020 and 2021, up from 12.3% in 2019. Prior to the pandemic, poverty had been falling incrementally since 2012. Oregon’s poverty rate was 12.2% in 2021, up from 11.4% in 2019. Poverty rates in Oregon have tracked pretty smoothly with the national trend over the past…