Government Employment in Eastern Oregon

by Tony Wendel

July 16, 2024

If we consider government in all its forms (federal, state, and local) as a single industry, it is the largest industry of employment in Eastern Oregon. This is not uncommon for rural areas where economic diversity is not as great as in urban areas. According to the Oregon Employment Department’s Employment and Wages by Industry (QCEW) data for 2023, government accounted for 23.3% of the employment and 27.9% of the wages for the eight counties comprising Eastern Oregon. Statewide, by comparison, government was responsible for 14.4% of employment and 15.7% of wages.

Looking at the eight counties individually, Harney and Grant counties had the highest percentages of employment in government, at 40.6% and 39.7%, respectively. Morrow County was on the low end with government only accounting for 15.6% of employment, much closer to the statewide percentage. This is most likely due to the growth that has taken place at the Port of Morrow in private industry. Government accounted for a whopping 52.9% of wages in Harney County, followed by 49.1% in Grant County. Again, Morrow County came in the lowest, at 14.9%. Morrow County was the only county where government accounted for a lower percentage of wages than employment.
Table showing government employment in Eastern Oregon

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