Oregon businesses reported 49,600 vacancies this summer. That’s 6,700 more vacancies than last summer and the most found by any Oregon Job Vacancy Survey, which began in the spring of 2008. The growing number of vacancies reflects the busy summer hiring season and long-term improvement in the job market. There were three unemployed Oregonians for each vacancy during the summer. That’s the same unemployed-to- vacancy ratio as in the spring, but below Oregon’s 4-to-1 ratio in the summer of 2013. Nationwide, there were two unemployed persons per vacancy this summer. Three large industries reported more than 5,000 vacancies apiece: health care and social assistance (10,800); management, administration, and waste services (10,400); and leisure and hospitality (5,400). Together these three industries accounted for more than half (54%) of all vacancies reported this summer. Management, administrative, and waste services includes temporary help services, janitorial services, call centers, and other related firms. Although just a few large industries accounted for so many vacancies, employers were looking to fill openings across a wide range of occupations this summer. The broad occupational groups with the largest number of vacancies were food preparation, office and administrative support, health care, and construction. Compared with last year, the number of vacancies have increased the most for health care (+8,400) and construction-related (+3,900) occupations. The number of vacancies for jobs requiring post secondary education – such as a certification or associate’s degree – increased substantially. Employers reported a slightly more difficult time filling job vacancies this summer. Since the spring of 2013, difficult to fill vacancies have made up roughly half of the total. In the summer of 2014, that share was 58 percent. Central and Eastern Oregon each reported that three out of four job vacancies were difficult to fill. The most-frequently cited reasons for difficulty filling positions in these areas included a lack of applicants or a lack of qualified candidates. Additional contributing factors may have included the relatively low share of full-time vacancies in Central Oregon, and smaller share of permanent positions in Eastern Oregon. About the Survey – The Oregon Employment Department conducts the Oregon Job Vacancy Survey and estimates the number of job vacancies each quarter based on responses from private-sector businesses with at least two employees. Estimates for fall 2014 will be released in January. For more details on recent Oregon job vacancies, visit the “publications” tab on QualityInfo.org and scroll down to the section titled “Quarterly Job Vacancies Snapshots.”
