A Historic Labor Shortage Is Making Oregon Employers Downright Desperate
Right now, there are a record number of job openings in Oregon. “In the summer, we hit 107,000 and that’s just private sector,” says Gail Krumenauer, an employment economist for the state of Oregon. “For every seven unemployed people, there are 10 jobs available.”
It’s a national trend, according to Krumenauer. The nation’s unemployment rate hovers at 3.9% and Oregon’s is just a little over that, at 4.2%. “That’s within striking distance of a record low,” Krumenauer tells WW. “It’s highly unlikely that there was ever a more advantageous time to find a job in the state of Oregon.”
With that advantage in mind, this year’s Jobs Issue hopes to guide job seekers, job switchers or the just plain job-curious through this momentous period of possibility.
In this issue, you’ll find stories about professions that are so hard up for workers they’re paying hiring bonuses ranging from $500 to upwards of $30,000 just to start. And arguments by labor reporter and author Sarah Jaffe about looking beyond purely material satisfaction in the workplace.
Read more: https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/01/12/jobs-issue-2022-a-historic-labor-shortage-is-making-oregon-employers-downright-desperate/
(Williamette Week)