Oregon cos. report more job openings, higher wages

Oregon businesses reported 39,400 vacancies this winter, an increase of 6,600 vacancies from the prior year, the state Employment Department reported Tuesday, saying it “reflects the strengthening labor market across Oregon in the past year.”

The average hourly wage offered for job vacancies was the highest in the two-year history of the quarterly Oregon Job Vacancy Survey. The overall average wage was $17.53 an hour. That’s up about $1.50 from the average of $16.05 in the winter of 2014.

Employers report fewer low-wage job vacancies and more high-wage vacancies. This combination is raising the average offered wage.

A year ago, 61 percent of the job vacancies offered a starting wage below $15 per hour. That share is now down to just 34 percent. A year ago, 4,200 job vacancies offered at least $25 per hour. Now more than 5,000 job vacancies offer at least $25 per hour.

Health care and social assistance had the largest number of job vacancies by far, reporting almost one-quarter of the total openings.

Occupations in demand included personal care aides, social and human service assistants and registered nurses.

Leisure and hospitality employers also reported many job vacancies, with recruitment for maids and housekeepers, waiters and waitresses, and cooks.

The Oregon Job Vacancy Survey has improved geographic detail, as of this quarter. From this point forward, the agency is publishing vacancy data for nine areas around the state, aligning with Oregon’s redesigned Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act local areas.

This is the first quarter they have gathered data for these new sub-state geographies. The state said, “We look forward to gathering and sharing more details about the job vacancies in different areas of the state over the coming year.”

In winter 2015, the number of vacancies in each of the nine geographic areas was roughly consistent with the spread of overall employment across the state.

The biggest differences were in Northwest Oregon, which had 9 percent of the vacancies compared with 5 percent of the state’s employment, and in the Mid-Willamette Valley, which had 7 percent of the vacancies, compared with 13 percent of the overall employment in Oregon.

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 spring 2015 will be released in July.

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

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