Oregon — Private employers reported an average of 58,500 job openings at any given time in 2025, essentially unchanged from 57,800 in 2024, according to the Oregon Employment Department. The data suggest the rapid hiring expansion seen in the wake of the pandemic has largely flattened.
Job vacancies reached record highs in 2021 and 2022, peaking above 100,000 as employers scrambled to rebuild their workforces. While 2023 saw a step down from that peak, 2024 and 2025 reflect a return to pre-covid era levels. The latest numbers place Oregon’s labor demand back near where it stood in 2018 and 2019.
Signs of cooling extend beyond overall vacancy totals. The share of job openings employers described as “difficult to fill” has fallen to 54% in 2025, down sharply from nearly 72% during the post-pandemic hiring surge. The proportion of jobs open 60 days or longer also declined compared to 2021 and 2022, when prolonged vacancies were more common.
Hiring demand remains concentrated in a few sectors, but even there growth has slowed. Health care and social assistance led all industries with 16,100 openings in 2025—still the largest share of total vacancies, but no longer accelerating at covid shutdown-recovery rates. Retail trade followed with 5,800 openings, while leisure and hospitality and construction each reported just over 5,000 vacancies.
Across industries, most positions continued to be permanent and full-time. About 80% of vacancies were full-time and 93% were permanent roles. However, education requirements edged downward, with one-third of openings requiring education beyond high school—slightly lower than in the past two years.
Wage growth continued but at a more moderate pace. The average hourly wage offered for vacancies rose to $26.72 in 2025, up from $25.37 in 2024. Higher education requirements still corresponded with higher pay, with bachelor’s degree-level openings averaging $43.33 per hour.
Top occupations remained consistent with recent years, including personal care aides, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, and retail salespersons.
The survey data indicate that while Oregon’s job market remains active, the extraordinary tightness and rapid expansion that defined the immediate post-pandemic period have eased. With vacancies stabilizing and hiring challenges diminishing, the state’s labor market appears to be settling into a more typical cycle after several years of volatility.
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