Oregon manufacturing job gains double U.S. rate

Oregon gained manufacturing jobs in 2014 at a rate more than double the national average, reports the 2015 Oregon Manufacturers Directory ® , an industrial database and directory published by Manufacturers’ News, Inc..

According to data collected by MNI, Oregon manufacturers added 8,641 jobs, or 3.9 percent, from December 2013 to December 2014, more than twice the 1.8 percent national average gain reported by the Labor Department for the same time period.

Manufacturers’ News reports Oregon is now home to 5,707 manufacturers employing 228,829 workers. Oregon’s nearly 4% gain was the largest reported by MNI for any U.S. state in 2014.

“Following years of losses stemming from the housing crisis and recession, Oregon’s industrial sector has picked up speed,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “Its diverse economy, abundant natural resources, and expanding food processing industry has increased investment and boosted employment.”

Manufacturers’ News reports gains were led by the food products industry as well as lumber and wood processing. The food products sector now ranks as Oregon’s top industry for jobs, employing 32,841, up 5.1% in 2014.

Oregon’s sizable lumber sector saw a 4.8% increase in jobs, according to MNI.

For the full report, including a regional analysis, visit www.manufacturersnews.com/news.