Oregon Job Openings Fall to Five Year Low as Higher Wage Workers Take the Biggest Hit

New data for Oregon’s declining job market indicate that job openings declined to the lowest level in five years as unemployment surges, with workers earning over the median of $26.56/hour taking the hardest hit.

Oregon Job Openings Plummet Amidst Rising Unemployment

As the state faces unemployment levels of 5.2%, the highest since the 2020 pandemic and almost the worst in the nation, new data shows the number of open jobs in Oregon fell to the lowest number in more than five years last fall.

Oregon employers reflected only 46,000 job openings last fall- the lowest number since the pandemic, after a historic surge of layoffs last year that saw factories shed the most jobs during a prolonged downturn in Oregon’s manufacturing sector.

These figures suggest that for every job opening, Oregon now has 2.4 unemployed people after employment fell by 0.2% in 2025. In contrast, the number of open jobs is slightly higher than the number of unemployed workers nationally.

But the unemployment rate has been flat for four months, sparking hope that the labor market is recovering.

In addition, some sectors are showing growth. Health care added 13,000 jobs in 2025 and currently has nearly 15,000 vacancies.

Earlier this month, state economists also told a legislative committee they are seeing signs of resilience in Oregon’s economy, after the state’s economic output grew faster than the nation’s average last summer.

Despite some dire predictions, the trade war and unemployment claims didn’t escalate as high as anticipated, as employers found ways to adjust. Oregon business leaders are also now starting to show a more positive outlook.

Oregon Job Openings in Higher-Paid Jobs Decline as Lower-Paid Job Openings Increase

While the number of job openings has declined, it’s the workers at higher pay grades who are the worst affected. Oregon’s job vacancy survey shows the mismatch could be pay and requirements- not just a weak economy.

Published data shows that the average posted starting wage was $26.56/hour- down 2% after inflation, while openings under $20/hour increased by 4% over the year.

In addition, nearly two-thirds of vacancies required prior experience.

Here is where Oregon added jobs and where it lost jobs last year:

Prior work experience is required for 65% of vacancies, according to the data, making it increasingly more difficult for school and college leavers to find employment in the state.