Oregon Employers Struggle to Fill 45,400 Open Jobs Despite Starting Pay Near $27 an Hour

Oregon Job Vacancies remained unchanged in the second quarter of 2026- there were 45,400 job openings at any given time, according to new data from the Oregon Employment Department’s Job Vacancy Survey.

Oregon Vacancies Remain Flat

Insights from the Workforce and Economic Research Division of the Oregon Employment Department (OED) published yesterday show 100 more job openings in the second quarter compared with 45,300 in the first quarter of the year.

The data is collected from state and federal records and surveys.

Senior economic analyst Anna Johnson reported that:

• Hiring demand remained concentrated in the private health care and social assistance industry (1/4 of all job vacancies).
• Spring vacancies were distributed across the state, but the Portland Tri-County area accounted for 36% of all vacancies.
• Most job openings in Oregon were for full-time and permanent positions.

Yet, despite an average starting wage among full-time vacancies of $26.77 per hour,  employers said 61% of vacancies are difficult to fill. Spring hiring for 2026 remained flat from winter.

For the full analysis, see the OED article: Spring 2026 Hiring Among Oregon’s Private Employers Remained Flat from Winter.