Department of Numbers

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon Job Growth

There were 1,263,400 jobs in Portland, Oregon in May 2023 according to the CES survey of employers. The CPS survey of households showed 1,315,977 employed persons for the month. Portland added 3,000 jobs in May 2023 according to the CES survey while the broader CPS measure of employment fell by 1,717 (Comparing CES and CPS employment numbers.). You can also compare Portland job growth to job growth in other cities.

Employment Survey May 2023 Month/Month Year/Year
CES 1,263,400 +3,000 +41,000
CPS 1,315,977 -1,717 +3,927

Note: The CPS survey data is now seasonally adjusted at the metropolitan level by with the new BLS SSA series.

Portland, Oregon Employment Changes

The charts below show the monthly job growth for Portland as measured by the CES and CPS surveys. To illustrate the trend, the 3 month moving average change in employment is shown in green.

CES Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month

CPS Employment Change: 1 Month, Rolling 3 Month

Total Employment for Portland, Oregon

CES employment for Portland in May 2023 is at a new high of 1,263,400.

CPS employment reached a maximum of 1,318,434 for Portland in March 2023. 2,457 jobs have been lost in Portland since then according to the household survey.

Employment: CES, CPS

CES and CPS employment chart through May 2023

Portland, Oregon Employment History

Date CES
Employment
CES
Month/Month
CPS
Employment
CPS
Month/Month
May 2023 1,263,400 3,000 1,315,977 -1,717
April 2023 1,260,400 5,300 1,317,694 -740
March 2023 1,255,100 1,400 1,318,434 1,427
February 2023 1,253,700 200 1,317,007 287
January 2023 1,253,500 9,400 1,316,720 737
December 2022 1,244,100 3,600 1,315,983 -279
November 2022 1,240,500 4,700 1,316,262 -382
October 2022 1,235,800 2,200 1,316,644 488
September 2022 1,233,600 -2,500 1,316,156 1,406
August 2022 1,236,100 4,300 1,314,750 1,555
July 2022 1,231,800 10,300 1,313,195 923
June 2022 1,221,500 -900 1,312,272 222