Lake Oswego, OR, June 26, 2002—A detailed examination of high-tech employment trends in Oregon between 2000 and 2001 shows that Oregon’s largest industrial sector actually added total jobs in 2001, despite the national slowdown in the economy.

Oregon’s high-technology industry added 4,200 new jobs in 2001, for a total of 89,400. This growth in tech employment makes Oregon the fourth strongest growing state nationwide, according to Cyberstates 2002: A State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, a new analytical report released today by AeA.

At the same time, electronics exports from Oregon decreased significantly in 2001, dropping by 35 percent, or by $2.2 billion, to $4 billion, compared with a national decline of 15 percent. This decline is especially significant since Oregon’s high-tech exports represented 45 percent of total exports from the state in 2001.

Cyberstates 2002 also shows that venture capital investments in Oregon plummeted by 66 percent, dropping from $765 million to $258 million between 2000 and 2001.

"Oregon’s high-tech industry remains strong and is vital to the state, despite the economic downturn and job losses in some key sectors," said John V. Harker, Chairman, President and CEO, InFocus Corp. "On a per capita basis, Oregon ranks sixth in technology jobs. However, the dramatic drop in technology exports represents a challenge for Oregon as the economy slowly recovers."

The annual national report includes data on jobs in electronics manufacturing, communications services, and software and data processing. Nationally, Cyberstates 2002 shows that high-tech industry employment grew slightly in 2001, reaching 5.6 million, compared to 5.5 million in 2000. This one percent increase illustrates the effect of the technology slowdown in 2001, compared to nine percent growth in 2000.

Cyberstates 2002 is the sixth edition of AeA’s Cyberstates reports. The study includes nine chapters detailing national and state trends in employment, wages, and exports. Venture capital investments, research and development (R&D) expenditures, and computer and Internet home use are also examined. The report includes state rankings for each indicator. Cyberstates 2002 is based on the most current U.S. government data available.

What Does High Tech Mean for Oregon?

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $72,700 (8^th ranked), or 124% more than the average private sector wage in 2000

• A decrease of $2.2 billion in high-tech exports between 2000 and 2001

• Venture capital investments declined by 66% between 2000 and 2001, dropping by $506 million

• Home Internet access totaled 58%, ranked 5^th nationwide

Source: Cyberstates 2002
Data are for 2001 unless otherwise noted.
2000 data are the most current for wages, payroll, establishments, and industry segment jobs.