OLMIS

by Carolyn B Eagan
Published Oct-22-2009

Recently, Klamath County employers have been actively recruiting health care professionals, while health care related educational offerings have expanded at its postsecondary institutions. According to data for the first quarter of 2009, the hard work seems to have paid off. During the first three months of 2009, the industry with the most private-sector jobs in the county was health care and social assistance (Graph 1). The industry has added jobs steadily since the beginning of the decade, and in 2008 salaries in the industry were about the highest in the county (Graph 2).

Before now, the largest percentage of the county's private-sector employment was in retail. Although the retail industry has dominated the employment mix in the county for the last two decades, jobs in this industry pay lower than average wages and are more likely to be part time. Up until the 1990s, it was manufacturing that made up the largest portion of the county's employment. Manufacturing continued to pay the highest private-sector wages in the county even after the retail industry began to employ the greatest number of people. Manufacturing continues to play a significant role in the county's job mix.

In 2002, jobs in health care and social assistance exceeded the number of jobs in manufacturing for the first time in the county's history. Wages at that time in health care and social assistance were still, on average, lower than in those paid in manufacturing. Historically in Klamath County, jobs in manufacturing were among the best paid. It took another six years, but in 2008, the average pay in health care and social assistance exceeded the average pay in manufacturing. If the trends continue, it appears that in Klamath County, health care and social assistance may be the post-manufacturing era industry.