Oregon
Oregon’s got jobs, but could use workers to fill critical positions, according to new report
Oregon’s labor shortage is reflected at Gramma’s Corner Kitchen in Milwaukie, Ore., on May 9, 2021. The 2024 Oregon Talent Assessment reported that Oregon’s workforce shortage is severe, with about 66 people available to work for every 100 jobs posted in the state.
John Notarianni / OPB
Oregon has lots of jobs. In some ways, too many.
Jobs are especially abundant in Oregon’s healthcare, manufacturing and childcare industries. But the workforce to fill these jobs is lagging and employers — businesses, community organizations, higher education institutions and state agencies — will have to work together to shore up the state’s worker shortage.
Those are some of the key findings from the Oregon Talent Assessment, a biannual report released this week by the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission and the Workforce and Talent Development Board.
The report looked at four key industries that have the potential to lift the economic status of Oregonians: healthcare, information technology, construction and wood products manufacturing. It also singled out two jobs that are crucial to a well-oiled economy in Oregon: childcare workers and truck drivers.
Post-pandemic, Oregon’s economy is faring well, according to figures cited in the assessment. The state’s gross domestic product has increased by more than 30% over the last five years and employment grew by 7% from 2020 to 2023. That job growth is expected to increase by 10% over the next ten years.
“Oregon is well positioned when it comes to the labor market,” said Christiana McFarland with the nonprofit research firm SRI, which conducted the assessment. “Most people who want a job, have a job here in the State of Oregon.”
But this good news is tempered with the fact that the state’s current workforce is expected to shrink in coming years. One in four workers are set to retire over the next decade and a 30-year trend in population growth for Oregon ended in 2022.
The continued growth of the state’s economy is dependent on finding, training and retaining skilled workers. Providing periodic training opportunities for workers in information technology and semiconductor spaces is crucial, where technological advancements often outpace STEM programs and certifications. Retraining was also an identified need for Oregon’s trucking industry. Employers surveyed in this industry said balancing time away from a worker’s regular duties with training on new technologies, like lane assist or other semi-automatic safety features, was a challenge.
The assessment reported that Oregon’s workforce shortage is severe, with about 66 people available to work for every 100 jobs posted in the state. Labor shortages in certain industries and jobs are more significant than others. The state needs nearly 27,000 more healthcare workers to meet demand. Registered nurse was the most common position found on Oregon job boards. The report also found that part of the problem is a slow pipeline for healthcare workers due to Oregon’s own regulatory system, with a licensure process that is unusually burdensome for people seeking credentials.
Oregon needs nearly 3,000 more people to fill the demand for childcare workers, a job that is often underpaid. Workers in this job overwhelmingly identify as female and earn just over half of the average salary, $65,000, in Oregon. The lack of available childcare slots has a downstream effect on potential workers, by preventing parents of young children from entering the workforce.
The report offered several recommendations to ensure long-term success for Oregon’s economy and workforce including closer alignment between two big realms: the state’s workforce system, which includes private business leaders, state agencies and community organizations, and the state’s education system, meaning both K-12 and higher education.
The report also called for increased access to workforce opportunities for all Oregonians, something the state has already started doing through Future Ready Oregon, a $200 million investment from the state legislature in 2022. Creating an equitable workforce is the main goal behind the program, which seeks to increase living-wage job opportunities for women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and youth among other marginalized groups in the state.
“There are a number of programs and investments that the state is making to really drive workforce development, talent development into the future,” said McFarland. “The key to success for those programs is going to be the ability to adapt to the changing economy.”
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
A 73-year-old man was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for the 1983 killing of his then-girlfriend. It was a case that went unsolved for more than 40 years.
The sentence was announced by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
In July 1983, Teresa Peroni, 27, was reported missing after attending a party in the Selma area of Josephine County southwest of Grants Pass. She was last seen walking in the woods with her boyfriend Marcus Sanfratello.
Authorities deemed Peroni’s disappearance suspicious, but they lacked evidence to bring charges against anyone.
In 1997, a human skull was found on private property near where Peroni disappeared. In 2024, authorities in Josephine County reopened the case. In addition to re-interviewing witnesses, they collected new DNA evidence to build a case against Sanfratello.
With the DNA, experts at the University of North Texas confirmed the skull was Peroni’s.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man arraigned on murder charge in Oregon for death of then-girlfriend in 1980s cold case
A grand jury indicted Sanfratello of second-degree murder, on June 27, 2025.
Police arrested Sanfratello in Chico, California the next day. He was then extradited to Oregon to face the charge of murder.
Under a plea agreement, Sanfratello pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.
He will serve at least 10 years in prison, Oregon’s attorney general’s office said.
“For Teresa Peroni’s family, this has been a 43-year wait for an answer they never should have had to wait for,” Rayfield said in a news release. “Cases like this remind us of why we don’t give up. It doesn’t matter how many years have passed — if someone took a life, we’re going to keep working until we can hold them accountable.”
-
Detroit, MI26 minutes agoThings to do in Metro Detroit, April 24 and beyond
-
San Francisco, CA38 minutes agoCA to open 3 new state parks and expand others, including in Bay Area: Here’s where
-
Dallas, TX44 minutes agoWild vs. Stars Game 3: Key takeaways as Dallas takes series lead on Wyatt Johnston’s 2OT winner
-
Miami, FL50 minutes agoMiami-Dade deputies detain elderly father who they say shot and killed his son after a domestic dispute
-
Boston, MA56 minutes agoBoston has one of the best public markets in the country, says USA TODAY
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoRed flag fatigue? Colorado sees near-record number of critical fire days
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoFOLLOWUP: West Seattle pickleball players band together to save court access
-
San Diego, CA1 hour agoPadres sign Giolito to 1-year deal with option for '27