Oregon Tech Jobs Grow Despite Intel Cuts

Days after Intel started laying off 784 workers in Oregon, a new state report shows tech job growth last year was the highest it had been in a decade.

"High-technology is an integral part of Oregon’s economy," wrote Josh Lehner of the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.

"Overall, high-tech is a growing and important sector in Oregon’s economy. It provides nearly 100,000 very well-paying jobs."

And those jobs, Lehner says, tend to pay quite well and provide an outsize contribution to the state's economy,

"It accounts for roughly 5% of statewide employment but a considerably higher share of overall wages," he wrote.

Lerner said it's too early to know the full impact of the Intel cuts but, if there was ever time for bad news, now would it be it as overall, the state's economic condition is pretty good.

"The economy is as strong as it has been at any point in the past 15 years, both statewide and in the Portland Metro" he said.

"These gains will help ease the pain."