November 5, 2021 3:30 a.m.

Oregon’s total employment is projected to grow by 317,600 jobs between 2020 and 2030, according to new projections by the Oregon Employment Department.

An OED release said the projections point to historically high job growth between 2020 and 2030 and accounts for recovery from low employment levels in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated recession. In addition, many jobs are expected due to the need to replace workers who leave their occupation.

OED said in 2020, there were 1,998,400 jobs in Oregon. The projected 16 percent increase in employment by 2030 includes private-sector gains of 283,500 jobs, growth of 25,700 government jobs, and an additional 8,300 self-employed Oregonians.

The release said beyond gains associated with the economic recovery, another nearly 2.2 million job openings will be created by 2030 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 recovery, job growth and replacements will total around 2,500,000.

OED said all sectors in Oregon are expected to add jobs by 2030. Leisure and hospitality is projected to increase the fastest and add the largest number of jobs. The private health care and social assistance sector is projected to add the second-largest number of jobs, with 51,000 jobs, or 19 percent growth, over the ten-year period.

All areas of Oregon expect to see job opportunities due to both economic recovery and growth, and to replace workers leaving the labor force in the coming years. The two regions projected to grow at the fastest rates are central Oregon and the Portland area. All other areas are expected to have slower growth.

More information on OED’s projections can be found: https://www.qualityinfo.org/projections#1