October 1, 2020 10:30 a.m.

Oregon’s total employment is projected to increase by 9 percent between 2019 and 2029, according to new projections from the Oregon Employment Department.

An OED release said the projections point to modest job growth, although many job openings are expected due to the need to replace workers who leave their occupations.

The release said in 2019, there were 2,120,000 jobs in Oregon. The gain in employment over the 10-year period includes private-sector gains of 156,400 jobs, growth of 16,500 jobs in government, and an additional 8,900 self-employed Oregonians.

OED said beyond gains from economic growth, another 255,300 job openings will be created on average each year through 2029 to replace workers who retire, leave the labor force for other reasons, or make a major occupational change. Together the number of job openings due to economic growth and replacements will total an annual average of 273,500.

The report said all private sectors in Oregon are expected to add jobs by 2029. Private health care and social assistance will lead all industries in new job growth. Health care will account for one out of every five new jobs created in the state by 2029, according to OED.

Health care will also top the list of Oregon’s fastest-growing occupations over the ten-year period. Professional and business services will be the second fastest-growing industry.

While all areas of Oregon expect to see job opportunities due to both economic growth and to replace workers leaving the labor force in the coming years, the two regions projected to grow at the fastest rates will be central Oregon with a growth rate of 12 percent, and the Portland area with an 11 percent rate of growth.