State of Oregon Jobs to Grow by 2018

Several new State of Oregon jobs (Click here) could be created during the next decade.

State economists have predicted that 163,000 new jobs will be created in Oregon by 2018, with 11,000 of those jobs to be in Central Oregon.

Jobs in the three counties that make up Central Oregon, including Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook, are expected to grow faster than any other part of Oregon.

It is expected that jobs in Central Oregon will increase by 14 percent from 2008 to 92,340 jobs, compared to a statewide growth rate of 9 percent.

"Over the last 10 years, Central Oregon has grown tons faster than the state," Carolyn Eagan, a regional economist in Central Oregon, told The Bulletin. "There was nothing to me that would indicate that wouldn't happen after the recession."

There is no question whether or not Central Oregon could benefit from the additional jobs, as the area accounts for some of the highest unemployment rates in the state.

During September, Deschutes and Jefferson counties had unemployment rates of 15.9 percent, while Crook county had an unemployment rate of 19.7. These were all significantly higher than the national unemployment rate at the time of 9.8 percent.

Throughout Central Oregon, the education and health services industry is expected to grow the most, increasing by 2,900 jobs, or 29 percent, to about 13,000 jobs by 2018. The professional and business services industry and the food and beverage industry are both expected to grow by about 18 percent.

The manufacturing; government; leisure and hospitality; and trade, transportation and utilities industries are expected to grow by 9 to 14 percent.

The construction industry, which has been hit harder than most others during the recession, is expected to only grow by 1 percent. The information industry is the only one expected to decline by 2018.