We are pleased to announce the release of the 2018 Construction Labor Market Report. This report examines the workforce data, characteristics and trends that define the Construction sector within the Greater Portland-Vancouver area. With over 70,000 jobs and a payroll of $3.9 billion, Construction accounts for over 5 percent of the greater Portland region’s private-sector employment and 6 percent of total payroll. The Construction sector contributed approximately $6.8 billion to the metro area’s Gross Domestic Product in 2017.
Since our last labor market report in 2016, Construction has added more than 12,000 jobs – the most jobs in 2017, outpacing other fast-growing industries like Healthcare, Retail Trade, and Accommodation & Food Services. The impressive growth in 2016 and 2017 has spurred Construction employment past pre-recession levels. The industry is expected to add more than 11,000 jobs over the next decade, a growth rate of 17 percent. The jobs being added in the Construction industry are high wage, averaging over $25 an hour. Current and future building trends, both public and private, are rapidly increasing the demand for skilled tradespeople while one-fifth of the area’s Construction workforce is at, or nearing, retirement age. The region has seen apprenticeship program completers in common Construction occupations (electricians, laborers, carpenters, etc.) more than double in the last three years, but the numbers remain well below what is needed to satisfy industry demand.
Worksystems publishes this information with our partners Clackamas Workforce Partnership and Workforce Southwest Washington. We are dedicated to assuring this information is regularly updated and presented in a way that advances the region’s capacity to understand and align workforce supply with business demand in key industry sectors. By examining labor market intelligence and vetting the information with business partners, we can better understand industry trends, identify current and emergent workforce needs, and develop customized solutions to support the growth of the industry.
