[5]By Portland Business Alliance [6]
What sector provides 59 percent more in benefits and 8 percent more in wages across education levels? What sector employs 11 percent of Portland-metro’s workforce? The answer to those questions is: the manufacturing sector. These findings are part of the latest Value of Jobs Coalition report issued that highlights how manufacturing-based businesses support Portland-metro’s families and overall economy. The report can be found online at: www.valueofjobs.com/manufacturing_study_2012/index.html [7].
“Our region has a long and proud history in advanced and metal products manufacturing, which was strengthened tremendously over the years by high-tech manufacturing,” said Dennis Rawlinson, chair of the Portland Business Alliance board of directors and firm chair of Miller Nash. “These findings demonstrate the need for a greater investment in and a more concentrated effort on the issues that can support manufacturing’s growth – transportation infrastructure, land readiness and STEM education.”
Highlights of the report include:
- In 2010, Portland-metro’s manufacturing sector produced $32.6 billion worth of output, which constitutes more than 26 percent of total regional output;
- The manufacturing sector is a gateway for workers from a variety of backgrounds to gain access to family-wage jobs and good benefits;
- Roughly 70 percent of all manufacturing firms in the region have fewer than 20 employees; and
- Portland-metro is home to a number of “tipping point” industries that positions the region well for possible growth in the future.
This report is a part of the Value of Jobs Coalition’s campaign to raise the awareness of the value of private-sector jobs to the health of the Portland-metro region. The coalition’s work includes a series of economic studies, outreach to elected officials and candidates for office and communication with the public about how a healthy economy creates good quality of life.
To learn more about the Value of Jobs campaign, visit www.valueofjobs.com [8].