Southwestern Oregon Job Vacancies in 2019
March 3, 2020 On average in 2019, there were 1,745 job vacancies among businesses in Southwestern Oregon, according to the newly released job vacancy survey conducted by the Oregon Employment Department. That is up 463 vacancies from 2018. The survey results are estimated from 492 local private-sector employers who responded to our survey, and included information such as: job title, full- or part-time status, permanent or temporary status, starting wage or salary, and educational and experience requirements.


Jobs requiring postsecondary training have the highest percentage of difficult-to-fill vacancies at 91 percent. Vacancies without educational requirements were considered difficult to fill 60 percent of the time, as well as about half of vacancies requiring a high school diploma. Vacancies requiring education beyond high school were also more likely to require previous experience; 80 percent of postsecondary vacancies also required previous experience to qualify, with bachelor’s and advanced degree vacancies following close behind at 78 percent.
Health care and social assistance had the most job vacancies hovering just below 23 percent of the total. Health care and social assistance, retail trade, and construction accounted for just over 50 percent of the total vacancies.
Job Vacancies by Occupation
Personal care aides accounted for about 9 percent (150) of all vacancies. Health care support as an occupational group accounted for the most job vacancies in SW Oregon at 243 (a category that includes personal care aides, medical assistants, and nursing assistants). Transportation related jobs like truck driving and automotive service technicians and mechanics also had a lot of recruitment activity in 2019.
Education continues to pay in Southwestern Oregon and beyond. Total vacancies requiring a high school diploma or less accounted for 1,166 of all the SW Oregon job vacancies. One must keep in mind that while these two categories accounted for two-thirds of vacancies, they also carry the lowest average hourly wages in the SW region. Health care, retail trade, and construction have the highest number of job vacancies, but provide an array of occupational choices to interested or prospective job seekers.