Career Advice & News Center

Job-seekers in the Northwest may decide to narrow their career searches after the Oregon Employment Department released a report on Tuesday projecting the state's employment trends over the next 10 years.

Overall, officials predicted that economic growth will add 160,300 jobs in Oregon from 2008 to 2018, economic stimulus efforts will add 85,000 positions and an additional 430,000 job openings will arise as older workers retire, the Oregonian reports.

In total, these projections would increase the state's workforce by about 9 percent, which is slightly less than the increase experienced between 1998 and 2008.

Economists say the education and health services industries will fare exceptionally well over the time period. The two sectors are expected to grow by 23 percent and add nearly 50,000 jobs to the labor force, the report reveals.

"Healthcare is supposed to be the fastest growing industry and the one to add the most jobs," Nick Beleiciks, an economist from the state employment department told the news source.

He added, "We have an aging population, so we'll have more need for healthcare in the future."

Other industry-specific projections include a 14 percent increase (28,000 jobs) in professional and business services, a 12 percent increase (21,500 jobs) in leisure and hospitality and a surprisingly low one percent increase in construction employment, which would make it Oregon's slowest growing sector.

The manufacturing industry is the only broad sector the officials expect will lose jobs during the 10-year period.

Beleiciks told the news source that the report's projections are based on numerous factors which are in constant flux. He further noted that he and the state's economists could not affirmatively predict how the economy would shape Oregon's housing market or unemployment rate.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an 11.3 percent unemployment rate in Oregon for September and October.