Oregon’s Tech Industry Adds 1,400 Jobs
Oregon is the 3rd Largest Cyberstate by Semiconductor Manufacturing Employment

Lake Oswego, OR (April 24, 2007) – AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association with 2,500 member companies representing all segments of the high-tech industry, today released its 10th anniversary Cyberstates report detailing national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, and other key economic factors. The report, Cyberstates 2007: A Complete State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, covers all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Oregon's high-tech industry added 1,400 net jobs, for a total of 83,100 in 2005, the most recent year state data are available. Oregon’s largest technology sector is semiconductor manufacturing, which was down 200 net jobs in 2005, for a total of 26,200. Oregon ranks 3rd among cyberstates in semiconductor manufacturing employment.

The largest increase in technology jobs occurred in Oregon’s software publishers sector which added 700 jobs, moving it from the 10th to the 8th ranked cyberstate in that sector. Following this were the engineering services and computer systems design and related services sectors, which each added some 400 jobs.

Oregon’s semiconductor industry is the 3rd largest in the country. “Innovative tech companies across a variety of sectors are locating here, joining established high-technology companies such as Tektronix, ESI, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard. This includes household names like Google and Yahoo! as well as small- and medium-sized companies that – at least for now – most people probably have not heard of,” said Jennifer Bosze, Executive Director, AeA Oregon Council.

“Oregon’s high-tech industry pays average wages that are over double the state’s average private sector wage,” said Robert DeKoning, President and CEO of Routeware and Chairman of the AeA Oregon Council. “We want to keep these high paying jobs in Oregon and see them grow in the future. In order to ensure that, we call on state and local leaders to improve math and science education in our schools and to support our public universities. Unless we start educating more scientists and engineers, we cannot maintain the growth of high tech in Oregon.”

Nationally, Cyberstates 2007 shows that the high-tech industry is picking up. High-tech employment was up by 146,600 out of 5.8 million workers in 2006, the second year in a row that the U.S. tech industry has added jobs.

This 10th edition of Cyberstates provides a comprehensive review of the high-tech industry nationally and state-by-state in terms of high-tech employment, wages, payroll, and establishments. Cyberstates also offers data on venture capital investments and R&D expenditures.

A national and state-by-state analysis of the technology industry and international trade will appear in a forthcoming AeA report entitled Trade in the Cyberstates 2007: A State-by-State Overview of High-Tech Trade in the United States.

AeA members can purchase Cyberstates 2007 for $125; non-members for $250. Visit www.aeanet.org/cyberstates to download the report, or call 408.987.4200.

What Does High Tech Mean for Oregon?

• 83,100 high-tech workers (20th ranked cyberstate)
   

• 1,400 jobs gained between 2004 and 2005
   

• High-tech firms employed 60 of every 1,000 private sector workers in 2005, ranked 11th nationwide
   

• High-tech workers earned an average wage of $72,800 (16th ranked), or 101 percent more than Oregon's average private sector wage
   

• A high-tech payroll of $6.1 billion in 2005, ranked 19th nationwide
   

• 4,400 high-tech establishments in 2005, ranked 23rd nationwide
   

• Venture capital investments of $138 million in 2006, up 3 percent from $134 million in 2004
   

• R&D expenditures of $3.7 billion in 2004, ranked 23rd nationwide

Oregon’s National Industry Sector Rankings:

• 3rd in semiconductor manufacturing employment with 26,200 jobs
   

• 8th in software publishers employment with 7,300 jobs
   

• 9th in computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing employment with 3,800 jobs

Source: Cyberstates 2007

Data are for 2005 unless otherwise noted.

2005 state data are the most current available for employment, wages, payroll, establishments, and industry sector jobs.

Published by AeA, Advancing the Business of Technology (www.aeanet.org)

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About AeA

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This page was last updated on 04/23/07.   
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