SALEM — The economic impact of the forestry sector, especially in rural Oregon, was outlined in a report published Nov. 28 by the state Employment Department.

Forestry jobs totaled 62,000 in 2021, or about 3% of the state’s overall workforce, with an annual average wage of $68,200.

Although twice as many forest sector jobs are in the higher-population metro areas, they make up 2% of the workforce there.

In rural counties, which have smaller populations, 7% of the workforce is in timber-related jobs.

For example, in Eastern Oregon’s Grant County, 1 out of every 5 jobs was forest-related. The sector also accounted for more than 10% of total employment in Crook, Douglas, Jefferson and Lake counties.

Not only do forest sector jobs make up a larger percentage of the rural workforce, but they pay comparatively more in these areas, too.

In Clatsop County, on the north Oregon coast, forest sector jobs paid an average of $77,900, compared to $45,500 for all jobs. Lincoln County, on the central Oregon coast, was similar, with forest sector jobs paying an average of $76,000 versus $46,000 across all jobs.

“Even at the county level, this breakout likely understates the importance of forest jobs to rural Oregon,” the report states. “That’s because ‘metropolitan’ includes all jobs throughout the 13 counties that are a part of the state’s eight metropolitan areas, even if the non-metropolitan balance of the county is rural in character.”