From ag to tech: 150 years of Oregon jobs


A new book by Employment Department officials details 150 years of employment trends.

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“Oregon at Work: 1859-2009,” by officials of the Employment Department, details 150 years of employment trends, identifying how work has changed for the average Oregonian.

[Co-author and state labor economist] Art Ayre said there are three broad trends in the nature of Oregon work during the past 150 years, resembling trends elsewhere:

-Agriculture has declined as a full-time vocation, although it gave most pioneer Oregonians their start, while manufacturing and trades have surged.

-Specialists have replaced generalists: “People tended to be generalists back in the early days because they probably had to be. They made a lot of things themselves, and they worked at different jobs at different times of the year. We tend to be more specialized now, having a particular thing we do almost exclusively for long periods.”

-Physical activity and outdoor work are less common than sedentary work indoors: “We have more tools and technology to do the more dangerous and physically demanding stuff.”

Read more at the Statesman Journal.

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