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Do you have questions about Oregon’s economy that aren’t answered on this site? If so, use this form to submit your question. Our team of experts will respond to your question by e-mail and selected answers will be posted below.

Submitted Questions From Constituents

What kind of economic impacts do out-of-state commuters have on Oregon jobs and housing?
–Nick V., Oregon City

Answer: Out-of-state commuters do have an economic impact on Oregon in terms of jobs and housing. IMPLAN, an input-output model, estimated that 5.9% of employee compensation left Oregon due to net in-commuters in 2009. Local Employment Dynamics data from the U.S. Census Bureau also showed that 5% of primary jobs in Oregon were held by residents of Washington, the state with the largest share of commuters into Oregon. Idaho and California residents held 0.4% and 0.3% of primary jobs in Oregon.

The effect of in-commuters to Oregon jobs and housing can be seen when using IMPLAN to conduct an economic impact analysis for a specific industry change (a new business, for example). Net in-commuting to Oregon reduces induced effects in such an analysis. To briefly summarize the effects of the analysis, they are represented in three categories: direct, indirect, and induced. Direct effects are the jobs, wages and output resulting from the new business. Indirect effects are the jobs, wages and output created by businesses that provide goods and services to the new company. These are also known as the supplier effects. The induced effects are the jobs, wages and output created from household spending by the employees generated by the direct and indirect effects. In-commuters only change the induced effects in the analysis. In-commuters lower induced effects because households of in-commuter employees spend part of their employee compensation in their home states. The largest part of this out-of-state spending is usually dedicated to housing. Other money also is spent out-of-state on things like food, health care, utilities and more.

While a model like IMPLAN takes into account in-commuters to Oregon, the in-commuter rate varies from county to county, with those along the borders near population centers of adjacent states having higher rates than counties located further away from the state border. For example, Census data showed 10.7% of Multnomah County workers lived in the state of Washington in 2009. In Clackamas County, 4.9% of workers lived in the state of Washington.

If you're interested in commuter data like this, I encourage you to check out the Census Bureau's "OnTheMap" web-based application that analyzes and displays the Local Employment Dynamics data on maps.

What is a family-wage job?
–Nick V., Oregon City

Answer: There is no one, agreed upon definition of a family-wage job. In general the term refers to the wage level needed to support a family's basic needs in a given geographical area. The wage can depend on household size and number of wage earners. For example, the family, or living wage as it's also sometimes referred to, for a single person household with no children is going to be a lot lower than for a four-person household with two adults and two children. In addition, that four-person household living wage will be a lot higher if only one adult works versus both adults working. There are some good resources out there for determining family or living wages in Oregon, although none of them that I'm aware of are government sources. When viewing family wage analyses by these non-governmental entities it is important to understand the methodology used and how the family wages are calculated because they do differ from one analysis to the other.

FAQs

How is the Distressed Communities List calculated and where can I find a current list of distressed counties in Oregon?
Business Oregon is currently using the temporary distressed methodology. If the unemployment rate of the county is below 8.0%, all places within the county are distressed. Once a distressed county’s unemployment rate falls below 8.0%, it will remain distressed for at least 180 days or until the regular distressed methodology is used. When Oregon’s unemployment rate falls below 8.0%, the regular methodology will be used in December of the same year. Check here for a current list of distressed counties in Oregon.

Where can I find a list of companies in a particular industry?
Generally, government bodies (local, state or federal) cannot release any information on specific individuals or companies. The Oregon Employment Department provides on notable exception. Provided with a NAICS code, the Oregon Employment Department will release the names of the companies with the same code. Contact the Oregon Employment Department here for more information.

Reference USA and the Portland Business Journal Book of Lists are two private sector sources for lists of companies operating within an industry. Reference USA provides a listing of public and private companies within an industry. It is like a digital phone book and allows searches based on name, industry code, or location. Most public and university libraries offer their patrons free access to Reference USA. The Oregon Employment Department also provides the service on their Web site. Published once a year, the Portland Business Journal Book of Lists provides readers with information on Portland Metropolitan companies operating in a wide variety of industries. The list is available from the Portland Business Journal or your local library.

What is the unemployment rate for my city?
The Oregon Employment Department provides the current unemployment rate for Oregon counties and metropolitan areas. The current rate, calculated every month, is here. City unemployment rates are calculated every ten years.

The unemployment rate for cities is calculated every ten years during the decennial census. Here is the most recent unemployment rate. Type in the city and state under “Fast Access to Information” and click “Economic Characteristics – show more”.

Where can I find a complete profile of industry business indicators in my region?
Business Oregon’s, Oregon Prospector site or the Oregon Employment Department, Business Information Center are two great areas to start your search.

Where can I find economic information for Oregon or the county I live in?
In addition to the resources at the American Factfinder, Business Oregon produces two additional resources, The Economic Data Packet and Regional Analysis Reports. The Economic Data Packet contains collection of information that describes Oregon’s current employment, wage, trade, and output trends. The Regional Analysis Reports offer a detailed analysis of local population, employment, and wage trends alongside a presentation of the region’s future occupation needs and a list of the region’s competitive industries.