Over the past two decades, the Salem area’s population has grown 24%. Paying for employees to keep up with growth is a challenge, columnist Pamela Ferrara writes.
Pamela Ferrara - Special to the Salem Reporter
COLUMN: More job training needed to raise Oregon workforce participation
The share of Oregonians either working or looking for work is back to pre-pandemic levels, but remains low. Columnist Pamela Ferrara breaks down what the numbers mean.
COLUMN: Why people with criminal histories struggle to find jobs in Oregon
Columnist Pamela Ferrara examines the demographics of Oregon’s prison population, and the challenges that keep people unemployed after release.
COLUMN: The pandemic’s lingering effects on the Salem economy
Transportation and warehouse jobs are down from a pandemic high, while other sectors have seen jobs largely recovery, writes columnist Pamela Ferrara.
COLUMN: Why health care providers in Salem still struggle to hire
High stress levels, low pay and higher rates of illness from Covid have contributed to hiring challenges in crucial health care fields, columnist Pamela Ferrara writes.
COLUMN: Salem is adding jobs, but unemployment is rising. Why?
Columnist Pamela Ferrara explains how two different surveys are used to give a snapshot of the Salem economy and available jobs.
COLUMN: Salem sees better pandemic jobs recovery than other Oregon cities
Salem’s heavy employment in state government meant fewer lost jobs in 2020 – but hospitality and health care jobs still haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels, columnist Pamela Ferrara writes.
COLUMN: Workers with disabilities a ready pool for Salem employers
While the labor market is tight in Salem and elsewhere, one class of workers is underemployed. A look at how workers with disabilities are far underrepresented in today’s labor market.
COLUMN: ‘Quit rates’ climb in low-paying jobs as economy recovers in Salem
THE ECONOMY: A tight labor market has opened the way for those in low-paying jobs to get new positions with better pay. About one in three Salem area workers have seen pay raises in the past year.
COLUMN: Making sense of Salem’s strange economic climate
Pamela Ferrara of the Willamette Workforce Partnership explains why state economists are predicting a recession despite strong economic indicators.
