A Snapshot of Oregon Firms by Size Class, 2024

by Gail Krumenauer

September 10, 2024

In the first quarter of 2024, Oregon had nearly 168,000 private firms that were subject to paying unemployment insurance taxes. Almost 116,000 of these firms had at least one payroll employee in March.


More than 19 out of 20 firms (96%) with workers on their payrolls had less than 50 employees. While that left only 4,800 (or 4%) of firms with 50+ employees, they employed the majority (61%) of all workers and accounted for two-thirds (67%) of all wages paid in Oregon.

Table showing Oregon firms with payroll employees and total wages by size class

 

 

 

Firms with Fewer than 50 Employees


There were 111,200 firms with fewer than 50 employees in Oregon in March 2024. They accounted for 96% of all firms statewide. Most of them had between one and four employees. The smallest payroll employers in Oregon were mighty in number, totaling 71,400, or 62% of all firms in the state.


Despite their quantity, smaller firms collectively account for a much smaller share of overall employment than their larger counterparts. For example, the 62% of firms with one to four employees represented almost 8% of covered employment in March 2024 and 7% of total wages paid in the first quarter of 2024. On the other hand, the 310 largest firms in Oregon had at least 500 employees. The largest employers accounted for less than 1% of all private firms in the state. Yet they employed 28% of private-sector employees, and paid 34% of the state’s total wages.

Graph showing shares of all Oregon private firms, employees and total wages by size class

 

 

These distributions tend to remain stable from one year to the next, even as the overall number of firms, employees, and wages expands or contracts. This doesn’t mean that smaller firms are underperforming when it comes to job creation, or that larger firms are experiencing a bonanza. Rather than providing us with information about the dynamics of job growth, size of firm data offers a snapshot of small and large firms in Oregon’s economy at a specific point in time.

Latest Items (25)

  • Everbowl, an acai bowl restaurant, opened in Corvallis. Albany Democrat-Herald 04/03/2025
  • Mango, a Spanish clothing store, will open in Tigard. Portland Business Journal 04/01/2025
  • Mango, a Spanish clothing store, opened in downtown Portland. Portland Business Journal 04/01/2025
  • Kohl's in southeast Portland will close. The Oregonian 03/26/2025
  • Kaiser Permanente will replace its 303-bed hospital in Happy Valley with a seven-story hospital tower that will open in 2029. Portland Business Journal 04/01/2025
  • Bahama Boards in Cannon Beach added a crystal shop. The Daily Astorian 03/31/2025
  • Fresh Elements, a restaurant, opened in northeast Salem. Salem Eats 03/31/2025
  • Two Capes Lookout, a glamping retreat, opened in Cloverdale. The Cedar Mills News 03/31/2025
  • Pure Green Juice Bar opened in northwest Portland. The Cedar Mills News 03/31/2025
  • Taste of Szechuan, a restaurant, opened in northeast Portland. Bridgetown Bites 03/31/2025
  • John's Gas and Grocery in Springfield closed. KEZI 03/30/2025
  • Cesar Apartments, a permanent supportive housing for people exiting chronic houselessness, will open in southeast Portland. Southeast Examiner 03/28/2025
  • Oregon National Guard opened a 6-mile tank driver training course at the Raymond F. Rees Training Center in Hermiston. East Oregonian 03/27/2025
  • Spicee Bite, a restaurant, will open in downtown Salem. Statesman Journal 03/31/2025
  • Best Homes Storage will open in White City. Grants Pass Daily Courier 03/30/2025
  • United Parcel Service will temporarily lay off 244 workers as it prepares to close its north Portland facility. Portland Business Journal 03/28/2025
  • Dutch Bros opened a new location in Medford. KOBI 03/28/2025
  • Capes & Crepes Board Game Café will open in southeast Portland. EverOut/Portland 03/28/2025
  • Taste of Sichuan will open in Beaverton. EverOut/Portland 03/28/2025
  • Sorrento Italian Bistro opened in Oregon City. EverOut/Portland 03/28/2025
  • Muchas Gracias Mexican Food opened a new location in northeast Portland. EverOut/Portland 03/28/2025
  • Harder Day Coffee Company will open in northeast Portland. What Now Portland 03/28/2025
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill will open in Pendleton. East Oregonian 03/28/2025
  • Adobe will close its office in downtown Portland. The Oregonian 03/28/2025
  • Sellwood Bluff, a 243-apartment complex, will open in southeast Portland. Portland Business Journal 03/27/2025

Subscription Service

You can sign up to receive email notifications when publications have been updated or new articles are added for any geographic area you are interested in. You can receive new articles on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule – whichever is most convenient for you.

Visit the subscription order form to sign up. It allows you to choose your preferences, and you can change those preferences – or unsubscribe – at any time.