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Our main point with the study is that we need more higher wage jobs and a larger tax base to support public services.  More businesses, whether they are small, medium or large, that provide family wage jobs are needed.  More jobs = more taxpayers = more tax revenue for schools and other services.  One interesting fact in our report is that there would be $86.6 million available each year for Multnomah County schools each year if Portland-metro had the same per capita income as Seattle-metro.  That's a lot of teachers, books and school improvements.  See more at www.valueofjobs.com.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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We used MSA data throughout most of our study, which is what the income, wage, investment income, educational attainment, etc. numbers are based on. After seeing what the MSA data said, we drilled down to see what was going on at the county level since our urban core is critical to our region's overall health and we were disturbed by what we found in Multnomah County- about 26,000 jobs lost since 1997.  Please take a look at the report and full set of data found at: www.valueofjobs.com and you can see exactly what ECONorthwest analyzed - it is quite extensive. 

Regardless of how you look at it, job losses, our high unemployment rate, and a decline in wages and income is not good, especially for a income-tax-dependent state like Oregon.   We'll be publishing the action items that came out of Jobs Summit shortly that outlines specific action items that can grow family wage jobs.  Look for that at www.valueofjobs.com.  

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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