South Coast Economic Indicators - September 2023

October’s South Coast indicators with the latest September data can also be viewed by following this QualityInfo link.

South Coast Oregon’s Economy

There was a rise in payroll employment over the past year in the South Coast, with Coos County adding 510 jobs and Curry County adding 210 jobs. Industries adding jobs includes leisure and hospitality and financial activities. Unemployment rate was 4.3% in Coos and 4.4% in Curry. You can find the latest South Coast Employment Press Release that dives deeper into industry specific employment details here:

South Coast Employment in September

Special Topic: Top and Bottom Paying Occupations

The Oregon Employment Department recently released 2023 occupational wages, so naturally, this month, we look at the highest and lowest-paid occupation groups by median hourly wage. Like last year, the top five highest-paying occupation groups in the South Coast tended towards white collar occupations, while those paying the least tended to be blue collar occupations. Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations have the highest median hourly wage at $41.60, while food preparation and serving related occupations pay the lowest median hourly wage ($14.66) of any occupation group—a difference of $26.94 per hour. That said, the median hourly wage within these occupational groups can differ substantially. For example, within the food preparation and serving related occupational group, chefs and head cooks get paid much more than a dining room and cafeteria attendant or bartender. For more wage information on other occupations and occupation groups in the South Coast, you can download the wage file here.