Oregon Private Job Vacancies: 2025 Job Vacancies Remained Flat
February 26, 2026Oregon private employers reported 58,500 job openings at any given time in 2025. This was essentially unchanged from the 57,800 job openings seen in 2024. Oregon saw record high levels of job vacancies in the recovery from the pandemic recession in 2021 and 2022, while 2023 vacancy levels were slightly lower but still elevated from the previous high seen in 2017 (60,700). In 2024, job vacancies returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is where they remained in 2025.
The volume of vacancies in 2025 looked very similar to 2024 levels and some characteristics Oregon employers were hiring for remained similar over time. A typical job vacancy in Oregon tended to be for a permanent, full-time position, regardless of the total volume of vacancies. In 2025, 80% of job vacancies were for full-time positions and nearly all (93%) were for permanent positions.
In 2025, 25% of job vacancies had been open for 60 days or longer. This was similar to 2024, but marked a decrease from 2021 and 2022, when about one-third of job vacancies were open longer than 60 days. It continued to be less difficult for employers to fill their job vacancies. Fifty-four percent of job vacancies in 2025 were considered difficult to fill by employers, compared to 72% in the peak of the jobs recovery in 2021 and 2022.
One-third of job vacancies (33%) required education beyond high school in 2025. This was a slight decrease in job vacancies requiring education beyond high school in 2023 and 2024. Despite the decrease in job vacancies requiring more education beyond high school, 63% of vacancies required some amount of previous experience. The average hourly wage for job vacancies in 2025 was $26.72.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vacancies | 57,960 | 57,241 | 44,408 | 96,887 | 103,977 | 72,815 | 57,767 | 58,465 |
| Average Hourly Wage | $17.63 | $18.81 | $18.05 | $19.69 | $21.66 | $25.13 | $25.37 | $26.72 |
| Full-time Positions | 78.9% | 76.6% | 78.8% | 78.4% | 80.6% | 82.1% | 79.0% | 80.1% |
| Permanent Positions | 89.4% | 93.0% | 92.4% | 93.2% | 94.3% | 94.3% | 93.8% | 93.0% |
| Requiring Education Beyond High School | 31.6% | 34.3% | 33.3% | 30.4% | 29.5% | 39.5% | 38.8% | 33.0% |
| Requiring Previous Experience | 54.3% | 57.2% | 53.1% | 52.9% | 52.1% | 58.1% | 55.0% | 62.8% |
| Open 60+ Days | 16.4% | 19.0% | 21.0% | 35.0% | 36.2% | 25.4% | 23.4% | 25.0% |
| Difficult to Fill | 57.0% | 56.8% | 51.4% | 71.7% | 71.6% | 60.7% | 54.6% | 54.4% |
In 2025, health care and social assistance reported the most vacancies of any industry (16,100), nearly three times as many vacancies as the next highest industry, retail trade (5,800). These two sectors were followed by leisure and hospitality (5,400) and construction (5,100). Alone, private health care and social assistance accounted for over one-fourth of all vacancies. All industries reported at least 1,000 vacancies, except for natural resources and mining (750) and information (350).
| Industry | Vacancies | Average Hourly Wage | Difficult to Fill |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Industries | 58,465 | $26.72 | 54.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 16,110 | $28.95 | 52.3% |
| Retail trade | 5,815 | $27.13 | 49.4% |
| Leisure and hospitality | 5,426 | $16.95 | 52.8% |
| Construction | 5,137 | $29.01 | 74.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4,951 | $36.42 | 63.3% |
| Manufacturing | 4,164 | $26.10 | 51.1% |
| Management, administrative, and waste services | 3,667 | $23.49 | 37.0% |
| Financial activities | 3,278 | $24.07 | 52.4% |
| Other services | 3,191 | $22.49 | 60.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, and utilities | 2,590 | $27.27 | 58.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,068 | $26.02 | 37.8% |
| Private educational services | 951 | $22.91 | 59.4% |
| Natural resources and mining | 747 | $22.56 | 78.0% |
| Information | 351 | $49.19 | 18.5% |
Employers were hiring for a wide variety of jobs; they reported vacancies for nearly 350 different occupations in 2025. Top occupations across the economy included personal care aides (5,100); heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2,300); and retail salespersons (2,100).
Full-Time and Permanent Help Wanted
Almost all job vacancies across Oregon (93%) were considered to be permanent positions by employers in 2025. Across all industries, most job vacancies (80%) offered full-time employment in 2025. The information, construction, manufacturing, and wholesale trade sectors all had more than 90% of vacancies listed as full-time.
Private educational services and leisure and hospitality had the lowest industry average, with only 30% and 45% of job vacancies listed as full-time positions, respectively. Coaches and scouts had the most openings in private education and less than 1% of those vacancies were for full-time positions. Fast food and counter workers had the most openings in leisure and hospitality and only 14% of those vacancies were for full-time positions. In every other sector, at least 75% of job openings were for full-time work.
One-third of job vacancies required education beyond high school in 2025 but that varied widely among industries. While more than half of professional scientific, and technical services (73%) and transportation warehouses and utilities (54%) job openings required education beyond high school, few openings among leisure and hospitality (3%), natural resources and mining (10%), and retail trade (13%) required education beyond high school.
| Industry | Vacancies | Full-time Positions | Require Education Beyond High School | Require Previous Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Industries | 58,465 | 80.1% | 33.0% | 62.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 16,110 | 79.9% | 42.1% | 53.4% |
| Retail trade | 5,815 | 85.4% | 12.8% | 62.3% |
| Leisure and hospitality | 5,426 | 44.7% | 3.1% | 48.0% |
| Construction | 5,137 | 96.1% | 18.1% | 87.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4,951 | 88.4% | 73.0% | 67.8% |
| Manufacturing | 4,164 | 93.3% | 34.9% | 71.7% |
| Management, administrative, and waste services | 3,667 | 81.0% | 22.0% | 51.6% |
| Financial activities | 3,278 | 79.3% | 32.1% | 73.1% |
| Other services | 3,191 | 75.7% | 42.3% | 63.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, and utilities | 2,590 | 86.3% | 54.3% | 78.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2,068 | 91.3% | 17.5% | 59.1% |
| Private educational services | 951 | 29.5% | 26.6% | 83.4% |
| Natural resources and mining | 747 | 78.0% | 9.8% | 68.4% |
| Information | 351 | 100.0% | 32.5% | 56.7% |
More Education, More Experience, and Higher Wages
As education requirements for vacancies rose, so did the average starting wage for job openings. Job vacancies with no education requirement averaged $21.99 per hour in 2025, which was essentially the same as the wage offered for job vacancies requiring a high school diploma ($21.97). Employers offered an average of $35.66 per hour for jobs with a postsecondary or other certification requirement- either some college, an associate degree, or a special certification beyond high school. Vacancies with bachelor’s or advanced degree requirements paid even more per hour, averaging $43.33.
Shares of job vacancies requiring previous experience also rose with education requirements. While 47% of job vacancies with no education requirement reported a need for previous experience, two-thirds (67%) with a high school diploma wanted seasoned candidates. Seventy-five percent of job vacancies where applicants needed postsecondary or other certifications required some amount of previous experience. Nearly all (95%) job openings at the bachelor’s and advanced degree level required previous work experience.
| Required Education Level | Vacancies | Average Hourly Wage | Full-time Positions | Requiring Previous Experience | Difficult to Fill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Education Levels | 58,465 | $26.72 | 80.1% | 62.8% | 54.4% |
| No Requirement | 15,972 | $21.99 | 68.5% | 46.7% | 52.6% |
| High School Diploma | 21,426 | $21.97 | 80.8% | 67.1% | 46.2% |
| Postsecondary or Other Certification | 14,424 | $35.66 | 86.6% | 75.3% | 71.2% |
| Bachelor or Advanced Degree | 3,968 | $43.33 | 94.7% | 87.8% | 63.1% |
| Unknown | 2,675 | $24.17 | 85.9% | 21.2% | 26.7% |
Summary
Total private job vacancies in Oregon remained similar to levels seen in 2024. Most job openings across the state tended to be for full-time and permanent positions. Vacancies with higher education requirements also came along with a greater likelihood for prior experience requirements, and higher average wages. Most notably, the health care and social assistance industry saw the strongest level of hiring in 2025, with over a quarter of all vacancies coming from companies in that sector.
More information about regional and statewide job vacancies can be found in the Job Vacancy Survey section on the publications page of QualityInfo.org.