Workforce & Employment

Located in Deschutes County, Redmond’s labor force is Certified Work Ready!  What does that mean? Certified Work Ready is a national core assessment of standards that ensures a community is actively engaged in maintaining its goals to match people to jobs, align workforce goals to economic development, and link education and workforce together to improve skill attainment within our workforce. Partners in this endeavor include employers, individuals (new, seasoned, and transitioning into employment), state leaders, educators, economic development, chambers, workforce professionals, community leaders, families, media and more. We are able to meet this certification through ACT and the Oregon National Career Readiness Certificate programs (NCRC). These organizations provide a platform for providing process, tools and data to support completion of curriculum and measurements to close the skills gap. These Certificates – and the skills they verify – help assure employers that the people hired and/or advanced will succeed.  The Certificates also act like passports, regardless of where individuals live or move, the Certificates testify to work readiness.

Covered employment refers to jobs that are eligible for unemployment insurance. These covered jobs represent the vast majority of jobs in Central Oregon (~95%), a good barometer for employment and wage trends. Notably absent from the covered employment are self-employed, many agricultural jobs, and corporate officers.

Perhaps more important than the expansion of the local economy has been the growth in wages for Central Oregon workers. Fast job growth and low levels of unemployment led to a tighter labor market across the region. In the past decade real wages (after adjusting for inflation) rose by over 14 percent for workers in Deschutes County. Real substantive gains for the local workforce.

In terms of the number of people employed, there have been big gains in the following sectors: Construction; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; health care, and manufacturing.

Note: While most employees are covered, notable exceptions include: the self-employed, those who work solely on commission, and some agricultural workers.  Wages include commissions, bonuses, vacation and holiday pay, but do not include benefits.

source: Oregon Employment Dept. Employment and Wages by Industry Summary Report 2022