Help Wanted: Oregon has record number of job vacancies

What do Lava Lanes, Abby’s Pizza and The Riverhouse Hotel in Bend have in common?

The businesses are all advertising jobs on reader-boards — call it a sign of the times — and they’re certainly not alone.

“We’re seeing record numbers of job vacancies,” Oregon Employment Department Regional Economist Damon Runberg said Friday.

The Oregon Job Vacancy Survey recently reported the largest number of unfilled jobs since it started tracking the data several years ago.

In the spring, businesses around the state reported more than 53,000 job vacancies. There were 6,300 open jobs in 10 Central Oregon counties, including the High Desert’s tri-county area.

In Deschutes County, there were nearly 4,500 job openings in June — that’s up more than double from three years ago.

All Star Labor & Staffing General Manager Scott Reynolds told NewsChannel 21 he’s really noticed the uptick in the last six months.

“Anywhere from construction, to festivals, to medical to clerical and administration, we see it throughout the whole broad gamut of the workforce,” Reynolds said.

A wide variety of work, but there is a pattern: 33 percent of those vacancies are in the service and office-work industries.

Runberg said unskilled workers are becoming more picky as they get more choices.

“Those minimum-wage jobs that are less desirable, that don’t give you good hours etc.,” Runberg said. “You know, if people have the choices, they’re not going to pick those — so those are becoming very difficult for employers to fill.”

It’s good news, if you’re looking for work.

“Very limited people will work for minimum wage right now, because employers are offering higher wages and incentives to stay with them,” Reynolds said.

Of course there’s a flip side: “It’s hard to expand your business if you can’t find people to fill your positions,” Runberg said.

According to the survey, businesses reported a lack of applicants and lack of skilled workers as the main factors for vacant jobs.