The number of job openings in Oregon is at a near-record level. The Oregon Employment Department said Wednesday that there are just over 100-thousand vacancies right now.
Gail Krumenauer, an economist with the agency, said there are openings across every employment sector. But she said the healthcare field is having an especially difficult time filling slots.
“And that’s not a new trend since the pandemic started," she said. "Oregon’s health care sector has consistently had the largest need for workers since at least 2013.”
Krumenauer said the shortage of workers across all job sectors is due in part to some people being afraid of catching COVID on the job. But she says inconsistent or unavailable childcare is also part of the equation.
And she said average wages in Oregon have risen by about 14 percent over the past year, even when adjusted for inflation.
