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AVERAGE ANNUAL PAY IN OREGON, 2000 Annual pay in Oregon averaged $32,765 in 2000, increasing 6.1 percent over the year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Regional Commissioner Stanley P. Stephenson noted that Oregon’s pay level trailed both the national average ($35,296) and that of the Pacific division1 ($39,583). (See table 1.) Average pay in the Pacific division grew at a 8.4 percent pace in 2000 compared to 5.9 percent nationally. Within the division, growth in pay ranged from 2.8 percent in Hawaii, second lowest in the nation, to 9.6 in California, second highest in the nation2. Within the five-state division, pay levels exceeded the nationwide average in California ($41,194) and Washington ($37,059). California’s pay ranked fifth highest among all states. Alaska’s pay level at $35,125 was close to the national average, while Hawaii’s was lowest in the division at $30,630. (See table 1.) Annual pay data are compiled from reports submitted by employers subject to State and federal Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws covering 124.9 million full- and part-time workers nationwide. Average annual pay is computed by dividing total annual payrolls of employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees. (See Technical Note.) Pay differences among states reflect the varying composition of employment by occupation, industry, and hours of work, as well as other factors. Similarly, over-the-year pay changes may reflect shifts in these characteristics, as well as changes in the level of average pay. Pay in industries Annual pay for private industry workers (excludes those in government) in Oregon averaged $32,480, $2,825 less than the national average of $35,305. (See chart 1.) Over the year, Oregon’s pay advanced 6.6 percent, slightly faster than the 6.2 percent increase nationwide. Among the private industry divisions, the largest over-the-year percentage pay increase was in manufacturing at 11.2 percent followed by transportation, communications, and public utilities at 9.9 percent. Pay in three other industries--wholesale trade, construction, and services--all increased by more than 6.0 percent. No other industry in Oregon had pay growth higher than 3.5 percent. Manufacturing surpassed wholesale trade to become the highest paid industry in the State at $45,839, while retail trade, reflecting its relatively large share of part-time workers, remained the lowest paid at $18,730. (See table 2.) Statewide pay levels in the private sector were below the nationwide industry average in five of the eight industry divisions: mining; transportation, communications, and public utilities; wholesale trade; finance, insurance and real estate; and services.
Services, Oregon’s largest industry division, accounted for almost one-third of all private sector jobs, and retail trade made up over one-fifth. (See chart 2.) The industry distribution in Oregon was similar to that for the nation as a whole deviating less than two percentage points in all industries but one--services. (See table 2.) Overall, 85 percent of the State’s workforce was employed by private industry. Pay in metropolitan areas Among Oregon’s five metropolitan areas3, Portland-Vancouver led the State in pay averaging $37,043 in 2000, 34th highest among the 318 metropolitan areas nationwide. This pay level was essentially the same as the national metropolitan average of $37,010. Corvalis, a newly formed metropolitan area in 1999, recorded the second highest pay level in Oregon at $35,355, 47th highest in the nation. Medford-Ashland had the lowest average annual pay in the State, at $26,565 and ranked 247th nationally. The two remaining metropolitan areas in Oregon, Eugene-Springfield and Salem, had pay levels of $27,867 and $27,691, respectively. The rate of growth in pay from 1999 to 2000 varied among the State’s metropolitan areas with only Portland-Vancouver exceeding the nationwide average for all metropolitan areas (7.7 versus 6.0 percent). Portland-Vancouver’s pay gain ranked 19th highest in the United States. The second highest rate of growth was recorded in Corvalis (4.9 percent) followed by Eugene-Springfield and Medford-Ashland, both at 3.5 percent. Salem’s pay increase, at 2.8 percent, was the lowest in the State. Pay in large counties Pay in Oregon’s five large counties, those with an employment level of 75,000 or more, ranged from $44,395 in Washington County to $27,867 in Lane County. Washington County and Mulnomah County ($36,788) were the only large counties in Oregon with pay levels above that for the nation. The rate of pay growth in Washington County, at 13.2 percent, well exceeded the national average of 5.9 percent and ranked 6th highest among 315 large counties nationwide. Mulnomah County’s 6.2 percent pay increase was also above that for the nation. The counties of Clackamas, Lane, and Marion trailed the national average with growth rates of 4.0, 3.5, and 2.9 percent, respectively. (See table 4.) 1The Pacific division referenced in this release corresponds to the Census definition and is comprised of five states: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. 2In 2000, Massachusetts (9.8 percent) had the highest pay growth in the nation. 3Nationwide there are 318 metropolitan areas. The general concept of a metropolitan area is that of a core area containing a large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration within that core. See Technical Note for criteria used in determining a metropolitan area. NOTE Annual average pay data for 2000 are preliminary and subject to revision. Also, average annual pay by industry data in this release are based on the 1987 version of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The data for 2001 will be based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Due to differences in NAICS and SIC structures, data for 2001 will not be comparable to the SIC-based data for earlier years. NAICS focuses on how products and services are created, as opposed to the SIC focus on what is produced. This approach yields significantly different industry groupings than those produced by the SIC approach. Users interested in more information about NAICS can access the Bureau of the Census Web site at http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html. In addition, the BLS has published two articles on NAICS in the December 2001 Monthly Labor Review ("Implementing the NAICS at BLS" and "A first look at employment and wages using NAICS") which can be accessed on line at http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/mlrhome.htm.
TECHNICAL NOTE Background These data are the product of a federal-state cooperative program in which State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs) prepare summaries of employment and total pay of workers covered by Unemployment Insurance legislation. The summaries are a by-product of the administration of state unemployment insurance (UI) programs that require most employers to pay quarterly taxes based on the employment and wages of workers covered by UI. Coverage Employment and wage data for workers covered by state UI laws and for federal civilian workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program are compiled from quarterly contribution reports submitted to the SESAs by employers. In addition to the quarterly contribution reports, employers who operate multiple establishments within a state complete a questionnaire, called the "Multiple Worksite Report," which provides detailed information on the location and industry of each of their establishments. Average annual pay data are derived from summaries of employment and wages submitted by states to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These reports are based on place of employment rather than place of residence. UI and UCFE coverage is broad and basically comparable from state to state. In 2000, UI and UCFE programs covered workers in 129.9 million jobs. The estimated 124.9 million workers in these jobs (after adjustment for multiple jobholders) represent 99 percent of wage and salary civilian employment. Covered workers received $4.586 trillion in pay, representing 96.2 percent of the wage and salary component of personal income and 46.0 percent of the gross domestic product. Major exclusions from UI coverage during 2000 included most agricultural workers on small farms, all members of the Armed Forces, elected officials in most states, most employees of railroads, some domestic workers, most student workers at schools, and employees of certain small nonprofit organizations. Concepts and methodology Average annual pay is computed by dividing total annual pay of employees covered by UI programs by the average monthly number of these employees. Included in the annual payroll data are bonuses, the cash value of meals and lodging when supplied, tips and other gratuities, and, in some states, employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans such as 401(k) plans and stock options. Monthly employment is based on the number of workers who worked during or received pay for the pay period including the 12th of the month. With few exceptions, all employees of covered firms are reported, including production and sales workers, corporation officials, executives, supervisory personnel, and clerical workers. Workers on paid vacations and part-time workers also are included. Percentage changes in average annual pay for 2000 were computed using final 1998 data as a base. The ratio of full-time to part-time workers as well as the number of individuals in high-paying and low-paying occupations affects average annual pay. When comparing average annual pay levels between industries and/or states, these factors should be taken into consideration. Annual pay data only approximate annual earnings, because an individual may not be employed by the same employer all year or may work for more than one employer. Year-to-year changes in average annual pay can result from a change in the proportion of employment in high- and low- wage jobs, as well as from changes in the level of average annual pay. Data in table 2 are presented for the private sector only and exclude government workers. Average annual pay for employment in the private sector is presented by industry division as defined in the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification Manual. Each year, a relatively small number of employers provide insufficient information on the nature of their businesses to assign a specific SIC classification and therefore can not be classified by industry division. The wages for these nonclassifiable establishments, along with data for the agricultural division, are not shown separately, but are included in the averages for state and national totals. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines metropolitan areas for use in federal statistical activities and updates these definitions as needed each summer—data in this release use criteria established in definitions issued June 30, 1999 (OMB Bulletin No. 94-04). The 318 metropolitan areas in the United States are a compilation of a set of areas classified as Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PMSAs) and Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSAs). Generally speaking, a MSA consists of one or more counties and meets specified size criteria—either it contains a city of at least 50,000 inhabitants, or it contains an urbanized area of at least 50,000 inhabitants, and has a total population of at least 100,000 (75,000 in New England). An MSA may contain more than one city of 50,000 population and may cross state lines. CMSA is a metropolitan area that has a population of at least 1 million and has been divided into two or more PMSAs. The CMSA comprises the same geographic area as its constituent PMSAs which are loosely defined as free-standing areas that have a population of at least 100,000. County definitions are assigned according to Federal Information Processing Standards Publications (FIPS PUBS) as issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, after approval by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to Section 5131 of the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996 and the Computer Security Act of 1987, Public Law 104-106. Areas shown as counties include areas designated as independent cities in some jurisdictions, and, in Oregon, those designated as census areas where counties have not been created. County data also are presented for New England states for comparative purposes even though townships are the more common designation used in New England (and New Jersey). Additional statistics and other information Additional average annual pay data (or Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data) is available on the BLS Internet site at http://www.bls.gov/cew/home.htm. Data can be accessed in two ways, through Create Customized Tables (multiple screens), which allows quick access to particular items or via the special request FTP service, which allows access to extensive collection of flat text files. The San Francisco Information Office can provide assistance accessing these files by calling (415) 975-4350. This news release, along with other BLS statistics and information, is available via the Internet at the BLS World Wide Web site http://www.bls.gov/ro9/ro9/ro9news.htm. BLS issues an annual report that provides data from state UI and UCFE programs. The comprehensive bulletin, Employment and Wages, Annual Averages, 2000, features information by detailed industry on establishments, employment, and wages for the nation and individually for each state. The report is available for sale from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, Illinois 60690. Telephone orders using a credit card (MasterCard, VISA, Discover/NOVUS) or Government Printing Office Deposit Account are accepted at (312) 353-1880 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. central time. For personal assistance or further information on Annual Average Pay data as well as other Bureau programs, contact the San Francisco Information Office at 415-975-4350 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m to 4:00 p.m. pacific time.
Last Modified Date: January 6, 2004 |
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