Oregon's Job Market: A Deep Dive into Current Trends and Challenges

Oregon's job market is experiencing significant shifts, particularly within the private health care and social services sector, which is adding jobs at a faster rate than other industries. According to the latest quarterly job vacancy report from the Oregon Employment Department, nearly 14,500 job openings were reported in this sector during the last quarter of 2025, accounting for nearly one-third of all job vacancies in the state. This sector is the only one with over 10,000 available positions, highlighting its critical role in the state's employment landscape.

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Despite the growth in health care and social services, Oregon's overall economic indicators suggest a slowing economy. The unemployment rate has risen to over 5%, surpassing the national average, while population growth has stalled and housing costs have increased. The total number of job vacancies reported by private employers reached 46,300, marking a 14% decrease from the summer and a 7% decline compared to the same period in 2024. Anna Johnson, a senior state economist, noted that seasonal trends typically influence hiring patterns, with winter months generally seeing a slowdown.

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The job vacancy survey, conducted by the Oregon Employment Department, provides insights into the types of positions available, their educational requirements, and wage levels. For the final quarter of 2025, there were just over two unemployed individuals for every job vacancy in Oregon, significantly higher than the national average of just over one. Most vacancies, nearly 26,000, offered starting wages of $20 or more per hour, while nearly 17,000 positions offered lower wages. Approximately 80% of the vacancies were full-time, and over 90% were permanent roles, with more than a third requiring education beyond high school.

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The survey also revealed that nearly half of the job vacancies were considered difficult to fill. Positions such as restaurant cooks, personal care aides, truck drivers, and social service assistants topped the list of hard-to-fill roles. This difficulty in filling positions may reflect broader trends in workforce availability and skill mismatches in the state.

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Johnson highlighted a concerning trend in the manufacturing sector, which has seen a significant decline in job vacancies. In fall 2025, manufacturers reported nearly 1,800 job openings, a decrease of nearly 3,600 from the previous year. This decline raises questions about the future of manufacturing jobs in Oregon, which encompasses various sectors, including transportation equipment, electronics, and timber products.

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The next job vacancy report is expected at the end of April 2026, with Johnson indicating a focus on potential wage increases and the ongoing challenges within the manufacturing industry. As Oregon navigates these economic complexities, the interplay between job growth in health care and social services and the decline in manufacturing will be crucial to understanding the state's employment landscape.

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• “But health care and social assistance has nearly three times the number of job vacancies as the next highest industry.” — Anna Johnson, Senior State Economist

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• “We’ve been watching manufacturing [jobs] for a couple of years, and over the past two or three years they’ve been on a significant decline.” — Anna Johnson, Senior State Economist

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