From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement

The "Insight" said
"The falloff in Oregon retail employment reflects those national trends
rCo and probably some local ones, too."

Well, no shit, when nationwide is down 1%, and you are down 6%,
sure seems like proof some local ones are BAD!

from https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2026/04/oregon-retail-jobs-are-falling-5-times-faster-than-nationally.html

Oregon retail jobs are falling 5 times faster than nationally
Published: Apr. 26, 2026, 7:03 a.m.
Oregon Insight
This is Oregon Insight, The OregonianrCOs weekly look at the numbers
behind the staterCOs economy.AP photo

By Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon retailers bounced back rapidly from the pandemic, recovering
nearly all the jobs the industry lost in just a year. Wallets were open
and Oregonians, flush with federal stimulus payments, were eager to spend.

It didnrCOt last.

Oregon retail employment began falling again about three years ago and
is now down nearly 6% compared to 2019, according to state figures.
Retail jobs are down nationally, too, but only by about 1%.

Retail is facing many headwinds. The stimulus money dried up, inflation squeezed pocketbooks and the broad shift toward online shopping has
continued unabated. E-commerce now represents 16% of all U.S. retail
sales, according to federal data, compared to about 11% before the pandemic.

The falloff in Oregon retail employment reflects those national trends rCo
and probably some local ones, too.

Many parts of the state economy have lagged the nationrCOs this decade.
Job and population growth is stagnant, homebuilding is slow,
manufacturing employment is down sharply and office vacancies are high, especially in Portland.

DowntownrCOs sluggish recovery and the emptying out of the Lloyd Center shopping mall have reduced the number of large retail employers.
Nordstrom Rack, Target and REI are among those that have closed large
Portland stores in the past three years.

Recent polling shows people in the Portland area are increasingly
pessimistic about their economic opportunities, with concerns rising
about the cost of living and inflation. Those fears could be
constraining consumer spending and, consequently, Oregon retail employment.

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Retail jobs donrCOt pay a lot rCo about $44,000 annually, on average, according to state figures. The average annual wage among all Oregon industries is about $74,000.

But retail is important entry-level work for some who are new to the
workforce and many stores have flexible hours. So the decline in retail
work could be especially painful for those trying to start their
professional lives, and those juggling other personal or family obligations.

This is Oregon Insight, The OregonianrCOs weekly look at the numbers
behind the staterCOs economy. View past installments here.

Mike Rogoway
Mike Rogoway reports on the intersection of community and technology,
from the science of semiconductors to the impact of billion-dollar data centers in OregonrCOs small towns. Mike has worked in communities...more

mrogoway@oregonian.com

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