Eastern Oregon In-Demand Occupational Employment
April 23, 2026Industry employment projections for 2024-2034 show the information industry with a 10-year growth rate of 20%, increasing by 400 jobs across Eastern Oregon. The private education and health services industry is estimated to have the next highest growth rate of 14%, with an increase of 1,400 jobs.
Eastern Oregon occupational employment projections reveal a bit more clarity into the area’s in-demand industries. These occupations continue the theme of high demand focused from the information and healthcare industries.
Baker, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, Union, and Wallowa Counties
| Occupation Title | Employment 2024 | Projected Employment 2034 | Percent Change | Employment Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,320 | 1,560 | 18.2% | 240 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,318 | 2,528 | 9.1% | 210 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,785 | 1,967 | 10.2% | 182 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | 478 | 614 | 28.5% | 136 |
| Software Developers | 399 | 524 | 31.3% | 125 |
| Construction Laborers | 826 | 948 | 14.8% | 122 |
| Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other | 1,166 | 1,279 | 9.7% | 113 |
| Registered Nurses | 1,158 | 1,261 | 8.9% | 103 |
| Cashiers | 1,957 | 1,830 | -6.5% | -127 |
Four of these occupations fall into the category of high-wage/high-demand: computer network support specialists, software developers, construction laborers, and registered nurses.
Beyond the more obvious industry/occupation specific requirements, analyzing the required knowledge and skills across these select professions quickly revealed reoccurring needs. The knowledge component mentioned in every highlighted occupation was customer and personal service. As defined by the Occupational Information Network (O*NET): Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Active listening was a reoccurring occupational skill, also emphasizing the need for social aptitude. This was defined by O*NET as, listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions. The primary skill mentioned in each of these occupations was critical thinking, defined by O*NET as thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
There is a broad range of typical entry-level education for these particular occupations, from less than high school for construction laborers to a specified bachelor’s degree for software developers and registered nurses. Furthermore, having a bachelor’s degree proves to be the most recurrent competitive education for this analysis.