Year in Review 2023: Linn County
April 25, 2024Revised payroll employment estimates for 2023 show that Oregon’s job growth slowed from its growth in 2022.
On an annual average basis, Oregon’s payroll employment grew 33,700 jobs or 1.7% in 2023. That compares with a gain of 69,200 jobs or 3.7% in 2022.
Linn County’s annual average employment was essentially flat losing 10 jobs in 2023. That compares with Linn County’s 2022 employment growth of 1,720, growing 3.7%.
Although Linn County’s total employment was flat for 2023, there were significant changes at the industry level.
After gaining 410 jobs in 2022, Linn County’s manufacturing sector added 220 jobs in 2023, growing 2.7%. With the recent employment gains, Linn County’s manufacturing sector is 420 jobs below its pre-recession peak employment in 2019. Linn County’s primary metals manufacturing added 300 jobs to grow 15.9% in 2023.
Linn County’s health care and social assistance sector showed employment growth in 2023, the sector added 200 jobs (+3.0%). In 2022 the sector was fairly flat, shedding 20 jobs (-0.3%).
The industry showing significant employment losses in 2023 was transportation, warehousing, and utilities. The industry’s employment was down 460 or -11.3% in 2023 after gaining 70 jobs in 2022. The losses were concentrated in warehousing.
The other industry in Linn County’s private sector that reported significant employment losses in 2023 was retail trade. The industry’s employment was down 100 or -1.8% in 2023. That follows a fairly flat 2022, where retail trade lost 10 jobs.
Public-sector employment showed modest gains in 2023. Linn County’s local government employment was up 60 or +1.0% in 2023. Federal government employment was up 30 or +8.8% in 2023, while state government employment increased 10 or +1.6%.
Benchmarking Process
The newly revised payroll employment numbers are the result of the annual benchmarking process. This revision process is conducted by the Oregon Employment Department staff in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment numbers for both 2022 and 2023 are revised. For the monthly data through September 2023, original survey-based estimates were replaced with universe employment counts from the Unemployment Insurance tax system. Numbers from October through December 2023 were then re-estimated using sample employment data from a survey of businesses.