Multnomah County’s Aging Workforce by Industry in 2022

by Jake Procino

July 18, 2024

Multnomah’s workforce is aging. The number of Multnomah workers age 55 and over more than tripled in the 30 years from 1993 to 2022, increasing from 37,000 to over 110,000. The share of the workforce 55 and older more than doubled in the same time period from 10% to 22%. Driving this trend is that the youngest of the large Baby Boomer generation turns 60 in 2024, and they are more likely to be in the labor force than previous generations were at ages 55 and beyond. Many of these workers may plan to retire in the next 10 years, taking their skills and experience with them.

Graph showing more than one in five Multnomah County jobs is held by workers aged 55 or older

 

With the relatively smaller Gen Z generation entering the workforce, workforce aging is expected to continue in the coming years. Its impacts will be felt across industries, as there are fewer laborers available to replace retiring workers. It impacts employers, industries, and regions to varying degrees. Employers should know the age profile of their own workforce so they can plan accordingly for increased turnover and recruitment efforts due to retirements. At a broader level, workforce planners need to know the demographic profiles of entire industries and regions to help gauge the need for future replacement workers.

Health Care Has the Most Workers Age 55 and Older in Multnomah County

The age of the workforce varies by industry. The health care and social assistance industry has far and away the most workers age 55 and over, with about 16,500. Proportionately, however, this accounts for only a middling 23% of the workforce. Educational services with 9,988 workers and professional, scientific, and technical services with 8,730 have the second and third most workers 55 and older in Multnomah County. 

Table showing workers ages 55+ at or likely within a decade of retirement

 

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction has the largest share of workers 55 and older with 32%, though this only encapsulates 16 workers. In addition to having a large number of 55 and over workers, the manufacturing sector also has the second highest share of workers 55 and over with 28%. Utilities has the third largest share with 27% of the workforce being age 55 or older. Employers in these and in all other industries need to plan for how they are going to attract replacement workers, especially for jobs that require significant training.

Multnomah County and the Portland Metro Area Have a Relatively Young Workforce

Multnomah’s workforce tends to be younger than in Oregon, where the share of workers 55 and older sits at 22% compared with 24% across Oregon. Compared with other counties in Oregon, Multnomah is tied for the smallest share of workers 55 or older in the state with Washington County, also sitting at 22%. The county workforce also tends to be younger than the United States as a whole, where 24% of the private workforce is 55 or older (public employment is not available at the national level). 

Although older workers are a smaller share of the workforce in metro counties (23% in the Portland MSA), there are a lot more of them. Multnomah County alone has more workers ages 55 and older (111,000 workers) than all of rural Oregon combined (66,000). Multnomah County also has nearly as many jobs held by workers ages 45 to 54 (107,000) as those 55 and older. Meanwhile, rural Oregon has fewer jobs held by workers ages 45 to 54 (49,000). Employers in metro counties will generally tend to have a larger pool of younger workers to recruit from when replacing retiring workers.

Graph showing the largest 50 MSAs share of workforce age 55 and older

 

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) tend to have larger pools of younger workers compared with the U.S., and the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro MSA (Portland MSA) is no exception. The 55+ share of the workforce within the Oregon portion of the Portland MSA sits at 23%. Compared with the top 50 MSAs in the U.S. by employment size, the Portland MSA tends to have a younger workforce. The New Jersey portion of the New York MSA has the largest share of 55+ workers amongst the bunch at 28%, while the Austin, San Juan, and Salt Lake City MSAs have the smallest shares, all at 19%. 

Employment by Age Data

Information about employment by age group for industries and counties is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Center for Economic Studies Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program and the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) partnership with the states. Employment data is the average of quarterly employment for 2022.

To explore and use the data available from LED, visit lehd.ces.census.gov.
 

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.