For 2011, five industries of the local, private sector economy accounted for over eighty percent of the covered wages paid out in the County: education & health services; trade, transportation, & utilities; manufacturing; construction; and, professional & business services. In terms average pay per job, the top five sectors of the local economy are manufacturing; education & health services; construction; financial activity and, virtually tied for fifth, professional & business services and information.
Distribution of Business and Employment – Private Sector – Union County – Covered Wages 2011
In the public sector, federal and state average wage per job is higher than that of the private sector while average pay per job in local government is on a par with that of the private sector.
Distribution of Businesses and Employment in Union County Economy Table
Comparing local industries average wage per job with the average for the State of Oregon shows that for the most part local wages are below the average of industries statewide.
UNION COUNTY LOCAL INDUSTRIES — ANNUAL AVERAGE COVERED PAYROLL 2011 — AVERAGE PAY | ||||||
Industry – Sub-Sector | Type | Payroll | Employed | Average Pay | State Average | % of State |
Federal Natural Resources & Mining | Gov’t | 8,711,648 | 143 | 60,921 | 59,797 | 101.9 |
State-Construction | Gov’t | 7,676,667 | 135 | 56,864 | 51,903 | 109.6 |
Wood Products Manufacturing | Private | 24,244,727 | 491 | 49,378 | 41,919 | 117.8 |
Ambulatory Health Care Services | Private | 17,509,349 | 369 | 47,451 | 57,905 | 81.9 |
State-Public Administration | Gov’t | 8,450,796 | 183 | 46,179 | 51,447 | 89.8 |
Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers | Private | 7,337,406 | 194 | 37,822 | 40,767 | 92.8 |
State-Education & Health Services | Gov’t | 24,574,400 | 659 | 37,290 | 35,731 | 104.4 |
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | Private | 13,613,751 | 399 | 34,120 | 54,509 | 62.6 |
Local-Public Administration | Gov’t | 12,980,689 | 388 | 33,455 | 51,824 | 64.6 |
Construction-Specialty Trade Contractors | Private | 5,955,184 | 193 | 30,856 | 46,116 | 66.9 |
Local-Education & Health Services | Gov’t | 18,185,222 | 605 | 30,058 | 41,188 | 73.0 |
General Merchandise | Private | 7,922,147 | 347 | 22,830 | 24,198 | 94.3 |
Food & Beverage Stores | Private | 5,613,312 | 284 | 19,765 | 22,608 | 87.4 |
Nursing & Residential Care Facilities | Private | 7,829,337 | 369 | 18,336 | 23,502 | 78.0 |
Food Service & Drinking Places | Private | 8,227,774 | 714 | 11,589 | 15,832 | 73.2 |
Source: Oregon Employment Department |
For additional information on wages paid by industry sector, see Covered Employment 2011 Union County Summary Report
Looking at the latest data available on wages paid by size of firm, shows that the larger the firm, the higher the average wage per job.
Average Pay by Size of Firm – Q1 2011 Union County | ||||
Size Class | No. of Employees | Total Payroll (000) | Average Pay for Q1 2011 | Est. Average Pay for 2011 |
0 | 0 | $270 | ||
1-4 | 821 | $4,774 | $5,815 | $23,260 |
5-9 | 1,135 | $6,249 | $5,506 | $22,024 |
10-19 | 1,261 | $7,682 | $6,092 | $24,368 |
20-49 | 1,372 | $9,688 | $7,061 | $28,244 |
50-99 | 787 | $5,672 | $7,207 | $28,828 |
100+ | 1,540 | $14,909 | $9,681 | $38,724 |
Source: Oregon Employment Department Q1 2011 Data |
Comparison of local average wages paid by occupation with those of metro counties in Oregon and with the statewide average wages for these occupations show Union County occupational wages are, for the most part, significantly less than either those in a comparison metro region and those averaged statewide. The exceptions are generally the higher skilled, experienced positions.
Occupation Mean Hourly Wage Region 13*, Region 2**, and State of Oregon – Selected Occupations | |||||
2011 Mean Hourly Wage | |||||
Region 13 | Region 2 | Region 13 % | State of | Region 13 % | |
Oregon | |||||
Management Occupations | |||||
General and Operations Managers | 37.51 | 55.03 | 68% | 49.73 | 75% |
Administrative Services Mangers | 27.77 | 37.83 | 73% | 35.16 | 79% |
Computer and Information Systems Managers | 40.98 | 56.53 | 72% | 53.75 | 76% |
Industrial Production Managers | 39.45 | 47.43 | 83% | 44.68 | 88% |
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 32.66 | 42.70 | 76% | 40.28 | 81% |
Construction Managers | 45.30 | 43.92 | 103% | 40.96 | 111% |
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | |||||
Supervisors and Managers of Landscaping and Grounds keeping Workers | 28.89 | 24.52 | 118% | 24.07 | 120% |
Janitors and Cleaners | 12.47 | 12.24 | 102% | 12.21 | 102% |
Landscaping and Grounds keeping Workers | 13.31 | 14.28 | 93% | 13.30 | 100% |
Office and Administrative Support Occupations | |||||
Supervisors and Managers of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 19.64 | 25.48 | 77% | 23.61 | 83% |
Billing and Posting Clerks | 16.02 | 17.21 | 93% | 16.49 | 97% |
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 14.50 | 18.27 | 79% | 17.31 | 84% |
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | 16.25 | 19.44 | 84% | 18.62 | 87% |
Customer Service Representatives | 13.98 | 17.08 | 82% | 15.92 | 88% |
Receptionists and Information Clerks | 11.94 | 13.61 | 88% | 12.83 | 93% |
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers | 11.36 | 13.56 | 84% | 12.88 | 88% |
Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 17.78 | 22.80 | 78% | 21.99 | 81% |
Office Clerks, General | 13.29 | 15.23 | 87% | 14.70 | 90% |
Construction and Extraction Occupations | |||||
Supervisors and Managers of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 27.99 | 31.72 | 88% | 31.19 | 90% |
Carpenters | 16.20 | 22.77 | 71% | 21.11 | 77% |
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 19.01 | 26.39 | 72% | 24.36 | 78% |
Electricians | 28.63 | 34.23 | 84% | 31.22 | 92% |
Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 14.44 | 17.30 | 83% | 16.22 | 89% |
Construction and Building Inspectors | 24.68 | 29.94 | 82% | 28.73 | 86% |
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | |||||
Supervisors and Managers of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 29.98 | 30.80 | 97% | 29.82 | 101% |
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, except Line Installers | 27.26 | 28.22 | 97% | 26.78 | 102% |
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 14.83 | 20.69 | 72% | 19.59 | 76% |
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 21.35 | 22.91 | 93% | 21.04 | 101% |
Mobile heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 26.75 | 22.84 | 117% | 22.33 | 120% |
Maintenance Workers, General | 13.72 | 18.86 | 73% | 17.72 | 77% |
Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 25.08 | 22.48 | 112% | 19.79 | 127% |
Production Occupations | |||||
Supervisors and Managers of Production and Operating Workers | 29.54 | 26.63 | 111% | 26.01 | 114% |
Assemblers, Multi-task or Team | 13.16 | 15.34 | 86% | 14.52 | 91% |
Machinists | 19.19 | 20.75 | 92% | 20.61 | 93% |
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 16.11 | 18.33 | 88% | 17.71 | 91% |
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | |||||
Supervisors and Managers of Transportation and | |||||
Material Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators | 24.37 | 30.00 | 81% | 20.88 | 117% |
Driver/Sales Workers | 11.95 | 15.19 | 79% | 14.95 | 80% |
Truck Drivers, Heavy and Tractor-trailer | 17.29 | 20.00 | 86% | 18.88 | 92% |
Fork Lift, Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 14.44 | 16.89 | 85% | 16.01 | 90% |
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 14.77 | 13.42 | 110% | 13.34 | 111% |
Packers and Packagers, Hand | 10.31 | 11.12 | 93% | 10.66 | 97% |
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 16.45 | 20.56 | 80% | 19.71 | 83% |
* Union, Baker, and Wallowa Counties, Oregon | |||||
**Multnomah and Washington Counties, Oregon | |||||
Source: Oregon Employment Department 2011 Oregon Wage Information |
The Oregon unemployment insurance program provides unemployment benefits to qualified, unemployed workers. The Oregon unemployment insurance program is funded by Oregon employers.
Taxpaying Employers – Private, subject employers pay a quarterly tax (annually for domestic employers) directly to the State of Oregon.
Reimbursing Employers – State and federal subject employers must reimburse (pay back) the state for benefits paid to former employees.
Local governments or non-profit private sector employers (exempt under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3)) may choose either to pay the tax or reimburse the state for benefits paid.
Taxes collected are deposited in a trust fund used to pay unemployment insurance benefits. The money to administer the unemployment insurance program comes from a federal tax, created by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA). This federal tax is assessed against all private employers and is paid to the Internal Revenue Service.
For the year 2012, the tax rates for Tax Schedule VIII are as follows:
Taxable minimum rate: | 2.2% |
Taxable maximum rate: | 5.4% |
Taxable base tax rate: | 3.3% (new employer rate) |
Special payroll tax offset: | 0.09% (0.0009) for all quarters |
Information on Oregon’s unemployment insurance program and tax can be obtained at the website of the State of Oregon Employment Department Tax Unit
By law, Oregon employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance or be self-insured. Workers’ compensation insurance protects workers by paying for medical treatment and lost wages and protects employers by shielding them from liability lawsuits that might result from work-related injuries or illnesses.
Employers pay premiums to workers’ compensation insurance companies, and those premiums finance most of the benefits received by workers if they are injured or suffer an occupational disease on the job. The legislature makes laws determining the level of benefits and who qualifies for benefits. The Department of Consumer and Business Services carries out policy for the governor, regulating Oregon’s workers’ compensation system, making certain that employers provide insurance, and ensuring that injured or ill workers receive the benefits due them.
Information on Oregon’s worker’s compensation can be obtained at the website of the State of Oregon Worker’s Compensation Division (WCD)