In wage growth, Jackson County overtakes Washington County: report

Medford, shown here in this Oct. 2013 file photo, is the seat of Jackson County. (Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian/2013

Molly Young | myoung@oregonian.com By Molly Young | myoung@oregonian.com The Oregonian

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on September 18, 2014 at 12:33 PM, updated September 18, 2014 at 12:37 PM

Of Oregon's six largest counties, where have weekly wages increased the most?
The answer isn't Washington County, home to the Silicon Forest tech hub. Neither is it neighboring Multnomah County, which covers most of the city of Portland.

It's Jackson County, anchored by Medford on Oregon's southern border, according to a report issued Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data compares wage growth from first quarter 2013 to 2014.

Jackson County wages increased 5 percent, on average, during that time frame. The rise far outpaced the average growth for all large counties, which was 3.8 percent. In fact, Jackson County's growth ranked 39th among the 339 biggest counties nationwide. It's a dose of good news for the county's slow-to-recover economy. Jackson County's construction industry has struggled to come back. Its unemployment rate has started to edge down this year, but at 8.5 percent in July, joblessness remains an acute issue.

However, the wage growth comes with an asterisk: Even though Jackson County wages expanded at the fastest rate statewide, they remain the lowest among Oregon's six most-populous counties.

Jackson County workers took home an average of $733 a week in the first quarter. That's nearly $500 less than what Washington County workers earn on average each week.
Here's how all six counties ranked in terms of growth:

Jackson County: $733, up 5.0 percent
Washington County: $1,213, up 4.6 percent
Lane County: $740, up 3.2 percent
Clackamas County: $875, up 3.1 percent
Marion County: $757, up 2.3 percent
Multnomah County: $1,009, up 2.2 percent

Statewide, average weekly wages increased 3.4 percent to $893.

--Molly Young