Oregon Fall Job Vacancy Report, Jan. 15

Oregon businesses reported 45,700 vacancies in fall 2014, an increase of 13,400 vacancies from the prior year. The growing number of vacancies reflects strong job growth across Oregon in recent months. Three large but diverse industries reported the most job vacancies in the fall. Holiday hiring boosted retail trade vacancies, and the industry led the way with 7,200 openings. Health care, a perennial job vacancy industry leader, reported 6,700. Manufacturing, which experienced stronger job growth in 2014, registered the third-highest job vacancy total in the fall (5,200). The variety among the top-vacancy industries offers a diverse group of opportunities for Oregonians. Retail trade businesses most commonly reported fall vacancies for retail salespersons, cashiers, and delivery services drivers. Registered nurses and nursing assistants topped the list of health care occupations with vacancies. Manufacturers sought assemblers and machine operators, drivers, and engineers, among others. Fall 2014 also brought the highest average hourly wage in the two-year history of the quarterly Oregon Job Vacancy Survey. The overall average wage was $16.47. Average wages generally increased along with educational requirements. The average hourly wage listed for vacancies requiring postsecondary training was nearly $7.00 more than those requiring a high school diploma. Vacancies with bachelor’s or advanced degree requirements paid an additional $12.00 per hour above the postsecondary average. Oregon continued to have three unemployed persons per job vacancy in the fall. That’s the same 3-to-1 unemployed-to-vacancy ratio as in the spring and summer, but well below the 8-to-1 ratio in Oregon when the quarterly survey began in winter 2013. This steady ratio in 2014 reflects, in a manner similar to Oregon’s unchanging unemployment rate, that the number of unemployed Oregonians remains high due to recent growth in the state’s labor force entrants. Nationwide, the ratio stabilized at two unemployed persons per vacancy in the spring, summer, and fall of 2014. Statewide, employers reported that half of all vacancies were difficult to fill. The most-frequently cited reasons for difficulty filling positions included a lack of applicants or a lack of qualified candidates. Employers in the Portland tri-county area reported a slightly lower share of difficult-to-fill vacancies (46%), while employers in all other areas of the state reported difficulty filling vacancies a majority of the time. Difficult-to-fill vacancies were especially prominent in Central (63%) and Eastern Oregon (78%).