If there is any question of where Oregon’s construction industry is, the jury is in.
Construction employment in Oregon bounced back quickly following the COVID recession and is now charting new record highs. Several months ago, the final data came in showing Oregon’s construction industry had reached a record high number of jobs, employing over 121,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis.
During the pandemic recession roughly 21,000 of those jobs were nonexistent in an April 2020 report. Construction rose rapidly in 2022 as one of Oregon’s strongest industries. Over the past 30 years, Oregon state data show that construction has employed between 4% and 6% of Oregon’s total nonfarm payroll employment.
The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project in the Portland area is aone of the big job creators. The Raimore Construction company is a prime contractor on this project and has been a star in getting subcontractors and individuals working in the construction industry. The Portland Medium and The Resource Scholars Show (www.resourcescholarsshow.com) have repeatedly reported on the works and focus of the business that has a record of putting people to work with wages that are meaningful.
Raimore Construction posses the ties to workers that come from communities and groups that have been historically shut out from living wage construction jobs and business opportunities. The Oregon economy benefits greatly from companies that help families financially. Often, being part of a discipline in a trade can mean not needing to have a college degree or work experience. Wages starting at $60,000 – $80,000 is not unheard of in the booming construction industry.
Construction activity includes more than just building homes and apartments. As mentioned with the I-5 project, there is road construction, commercial construction, as well as remodeling and other forms of construction employment. In Oregon, overall, construction employment trends indicate that the state has been experiencing high-demand times in the industry. This year, with the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project going into full swing, that means a sustained positive in the overall economic outlook for the state of Oregon.
