Almost Half of Oregon’s Job Vacancies are Difficult to Fill
by Jessica Nelson, Jul-21-2014
Oregon Employment Department
Businesses reported that almost half (48%) of Oregon’s job vacancies in 2013 were “difficult to fill,” according to a new report from the Oregon Employment Department.Major findings about Oregon’s difficult-to-fill job vacancies include:
The most common reasons employers cited for difficulty filling positions were:
– Lack of qualified candidates (24%)
– Lack of applicants (23%)
– Unfavorable working conditions (17%)
– Low wages (11%)
– Lack of work experience (9%)
Employers are looking for the right combination of education and experience for unique roles within their companies. This may mean a tougher training challenge than if companies were looking for a large number of employees with essentially identical skills.
Employers have more difficulty filling positions requiring previous work experience. Over half of vacancies requiring more than a year of experience were difficult to fill.
Employers had a harder time filling positions requiring postsecondary training, but not a college degree.
Mid- and high-wage jobs are more challenging to fill than low-wage ones. As wages rise, responses citing a lack of qualified candidates account for a greater share, topping out at more than half of the responses for jobs paying more than $25 per hour.
Small employers – those with 2 to 19 employees – had the most difficulty filling positions.
Employers in Northwest Oregon and the Willamette Valley, and in Eastern Oregon, had the most difficulty filling jobs. Portland area employers had the least difficulty.
The full report, Almost Half of Oregon’s Job Vacancies are Difficult to Fill, is available at www.QualityInfo.org.
| Top Difficult-to-Fill Occupations, 2013 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse |
| Personal care aides |
| Home health aides |
| Customer service representatives |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers |
| Registered nurses |
| Massage therapists |
| Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers |
| Cooks, restaurant |
| Oregon Job Vacancies by Difficult to Fill Status, 2013 | ||||||
| Vacancies | Average Hourly Wage | Full-time Positions | Permanent Positions | Requiring Education Beyond High School |
Requiring Previous Experience | |
| All Vacancies | 32,602 | $15.23 | 68% | 78% | 29% | 69% |
| Difficult to Fill | 15,576 | $16.15 | 74% | 77% | 29% | 72% |
| Not Difficult to Fill | 17,026 | $14.16 | 62% | 78% | 30% | 67% |
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