Adding Jobs in Oregon, March 17

Oregon will add 258,000 jobs between 2012 and 2022, according to new projections from the Oregon Employment Department. This represents a 15 percent increase in employment over 10 years. The growth stems from anticipated private-sector gains of 232,000 jobs (17%) and the addition of 26,000 jobs (9%) in government. This projected 15 percent growth rate exceeds the 6 percent growth seen over the past decade.  Beyond gains from economic growth, an additional 392,000 job openings will be created by 2022 as workers change occupations or leave for other reasons, such as retirement.  The 2012 to 2022 employment projections reflect several ongoing trends: continuing recovery from the Great Recession, particularly for the construction industry; a growing health care sector, due in part to an aging population; continuing population growth; and the need for replacement workers due to baby boomer retirements.