Forest sector jobs and wages
OFRI recently published a new report and a website on Oregon’s forest economy. A full report and a summary report can be downloaded from the website: TheForestReport.org. In this blog, I will summarize some of the information on forest sector jobs and wages from the report.
Diverse jobs
Oregon’s forest sector offers a wide array of employment, including work in forest management, logging, sawmilling, cabinetmaking, engineering, hydrology, business management and academic research. The largest group of Oregon’s forest sector workers have positions related to making primary forest products. This includes pulp and paper manufacturing, sawmills and wood preservation, as well as veneer, plywood and engineered wood production. Forestry support, which includes positions in nurseries, machinery manufacturing, firefighting and logging, compromises the next largest labor component. The following table shows the breakdown of forest sector jobs by subsector in 2016.
Rural and urban jobs
Overall, forest sector jobs represent about 3 percent of the total jobs in Oregon. However, these jobs are relatively more important in rural areas. The following list shows the top 10 counties by percent of forestry jobs.
| County | Total Forest Sector Jobs 2016 | Percent of County Jobs in the Forest Sector |
| Grant County | 579 | 20% |
| Douglas County | 5,561 | 13% |
| Lake County | 361 | 12% |
| Jefferson County | 823 | 10% |
| Crook County | 718 | 9% |
| Klamath County | 2,374 | 9% |
| Union County | 953 | 8% |
| Coos County | 2,042 | 8% |
| Tillamook County | 856 | 8% |
| Curry County | 620 | 7% |
Urban areas are not without forest sector jobs. In fact, five of the eight highest counties in number of forest sector jobs are Oregon’s five urban counties. The following list shows the top 10 counties by number of forestry jobs.
| County | Total Forest Sector Jobs 2016 | Percent of County Jobs in the Forest Sector |
| Lane County | 7,172 | 4% |
| Douglas County | 5,561 | 13% |
| Jackson County | 5,121 | 5% |
| Multnomah County | 4,368 | 1% |
| Marion County | 4,347 | 3% |
| Washington County | 3,821 | 1% |
| Linn County | 3,321 | 7% |
| Clackamas County | 3,263 | 2% |
| Klamath County | 2,374 | 9% |
| Coos County | 2,042 | 8% |
It is interesting to note that only Douglas, Klamath and Coos Counties show up on both lists.
Higher-than-average wages
The average annual wage for forest sector jobs in 2017 was $54,200, roughly 6 percent higher than the average annual wage of $51,100 for all Oregon employment, according to the Oregon Employment Department.
This difference is much higher in rural areas. The following graphic shows the forest sector average annual wage, the overall average annual wage and the percent difference for the state as a whole and for the 14 counties with the largest difference.
Total annual wages are increasing
The great recession of 2009-10 caused a large loss of jobs in the forest sector. This is reflected in the total annual wages for Oregon’s wood products manufacturing sector which have steadily increased since the recession low point of 2010. As of 2016, those annual wages totaled about $1.4 billion. After a strong recovery in 2012-13, employment has held steady, but wages have increased as the economy has recovered.
To find out more about Oregon’s forest sector economy, visit TheForestReport.org.
Mike Cloughesy
Director of Forestry