Salem-News.com Oregon Jobs articles

Oregon Businesses Report Large Number of Job Vacancies

The largest increase since last spring occurred in vacancies requiring a high school diploma, which doubled.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Oregon businesses reported 11,700 more job vacancies in the spring of 2014 than they did the prior year. Businesses had approximately 46,900 job vacancies in the spring months of 2014, according to a Job Vacancy Survey recently completed by the Oregon Employment Department.

The last time vacancies were at this level was in 2008, before the Great Recession did its damage. In the spring of 2008, Oregon had 47,900 vacancies.

Trimmed Payrolls Leave Oregon Unemployment Rate Unchanged for June

In June, 28 percent of unemployed Oregonians were unemployed for six months or more, the smallest share since July 2009.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - After adding almost 44,000 jobs in 11 straight months of growth, Oregon's payroll employment dropped by 4,300 in June, as several industries trimmed payrolls.

Construction dropped by 3,600 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, while the following cut more than 1,000: manufacturing, professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and government.

ODOT Needs More Skilled Workers; Faces Construction Project Risks

In recent years, ODOT has been reducing its Highway Division workforce through attrition because of projected declines in gas taxes.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - When it comes to its most important mission – building and maintaining roads and bridges – the Oregon Department of Transportation faces a workforce planning problem that could put contractor oversight and construction quality at risk, according to a report released by Secretary of State Kate Brown.

Short-term, the Highway Division workforce is spread too thin in some geographic regions.

Report: Half of Jobs in Oregon Difficult to Fill

Some of the hardest occupations to fill were: personal care aides, meat, poultry, and fish cutters, and Registered Nurses.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Businesses reported that almost half of Oregon's job vacancies in 2013 were "difficult to fill," according to a new report from the Oregon Employment Department.

Jessica Nelson, economist with the Oregon Employment Department says that employers in the state are looking for the right combination of education and experience for unique roles within their companies.

Governor Says Oregon`s Job Growth on the Right Track

Oregon's seasonally adjusted job gain was 4,200 in May and 6,200 in April.

(SALEM, Ore. ) - Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber on Tuesday released the following statement on the Oregon Employment Department’s latest numbers for the state labor market.

The Department announced that Oregon’s unemployment rate was holding steady at 6.9 percent and that the state gained 4,200 jobs in May and 6,200 in April.

Financial activities was the only major sector without a jobs recovery. It employed 91,000 in May, a level that hasn't changed much in the past four years.