Holiday hiring helps boost Oregon job vacancies

Oregon businesses reported 45,700 vacancies in the fall, an increase of 13,400 vacancies from the prior year, the state Employment Department reported Thursday.

The growing number of vacancies reflects strong job growth across Oregon in recent months, the agency said.

Three large but diverse industries reported the most job vacancies in the fall, the department said.

Holiday hiring boosted retail trade vacancies, and the industry led the way with 7,200 openings. Health care, a perennial job vacancy industry leader, reported 6,700. Manufacturing, which experienced stronger job growth in 2014, registered the third-highest job vacancy total in the fall (5,200).

The variety among the top-vacancy industries offers a diverse group of opportunities for Oregonians, according to those who compile the numbers.

Retail trade businesses most commonly reported fall vacancies for retail salespersons, cashiers, and delivery services drivers. Registered nurses and nursing assistants topped the list of health care occupations with vacancies. Manufacturers sought assemblers and machine operators, drivers, and engineers, among others.

Fall also brought the highest average hourly wage in the two-year history of the quarterly Oregon Job Vacancy Survey. The overall average wage was $16.47.

Average wages generally increased, along with educational requirements. The average hourly wage listed for vacancies requiring post-secondary training was nearly $7.00 more than those requiring a high school diploma.

Vacancies with bachelor’s or advanced degree requirements paid an additional $12 per hour above the post-secondary average.

Oregon continued to have three unemployed persons per job vacancy in the fall. That’s the same 3-to-1 unemployed-to-vacancy ratio as in the spring and summer, but well below the 8-to-1 ratio in Oregon when the quarterly survey began in winter 2013.

This steady ratio in 2014 reflects, in a manner similar to Oregon’s unchanging unemployment rate, that the number of unemployed Oregonians remains high due to recent growth in the state’s labor force entrants.

Nationwide, the ratio stabilized at two unemployed persons per vacancy in the spring, summer, and fall of 2014.

Statewide, employers reported that half of all vacancies were difficult to fill. The most-frequently cited reasons for difficulty filling positions included a lack of applicants or a lack of qualified candidates.

Employers in the Portland tri-county area reported a slightly lower share of difficult-to-fill vacancies (46%), while employers in all other areas of the state reported difficulty filling vacancies a majority of the time. Difficult-to-fill vacancies were especially prominent in Central (63%) and Eastern Oregon (78%).

About the Survey

The Oregon Employment Department’s Job Vacancy Survey started in May 2008 and became quarterly in 2013. This survey serves as a current indicator of hiring demand and focuses specifically on characteristics of vacancies for anyone seeking a job in Oregon.

In addition to developing the estimate of total vacancies in the state, the survey also provides insights on the industries hiring, wages offered, and education required. In recent years, the survey has also asked businesses whether their vacancies are difficult to fill.

The Employment Department publishes a quarterly summary of vacancy survey results, as well as annual, more detailed reports on wages, education requirements, and the reasons why businesses have difficulty filling openings.

Survey results are based on responses from private-sector businesses with at least two employees. Estimates for winter 2015 will be released in April.

For more details on recent Oregon job vacancies, visit the “publications” tab on QualityInfo.org and scroll down to the “Job Vacancy Survey” section.