We crunched the numbers for you

Top industries and employers in the greater Portland area

Colorful fall foliage frames this photo taken from the bank of an artificial lake with buildings aligned on the opposite shore.

The 400-acre Nike World Headquarters campus in Beaverton is home to sports research labs, design studios, product-creation facilities, and picturesque outdoor spaces. | Photo by Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives

More than 1,255,369 people (and 105,753 businesses) contribute to the greater Portland area’s economy. But have you ever wondered about the City of Roses’ heaviest hitters?

Consider this Portland Business 101 — your guide to the eight key industries and five top employers of our region.

Note: When we say the greater Portland area, that refers to Southwest Washington’s Clark and Skamania counties, and Oregon’s Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Columbia, and Yamhill counties.

The key industries

There are eight key industries in the greater Portland area, based on data from Greater Portland Inc, a regional public-private partnership dedicated to creating and expanding jobs and driving tangible regional prosperity. We’ve listed them in order of employment numbers.

Computers and Electronics | 41,400 employees 🖥️

All systems are a go in the Silicon Forest, the home to industry giants like HP, Siemens, and Tektronix. Semiconductors are a particular specialty here, which help power vital technology around the world.

Software | 35,264 employees 🤖

A well-established ecosystem of incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces lays the groundwork for strong support systems in this sector, which is projected to grow 29% over the next five years.

Design and Media | 33,000 employees 🎨

With great quirkiness comes great creativity. Portland and its surroundings are a hub for innovative talent, including architecture firms, advertising agencies, and video production studios like Laika. All told, this group represents $4.2 billion in economic output.

An old fashioned diner looking building with American flags on top and signs that say Burgerville USA — Burgerville started in Vancouver in 1961, but more importantly — yay or nay?

Food and Beverage | 27,700 employees 🍔

We’re... nom, nom, nom... No. 1. From farm-to-table cuisine to its brewery lifeblood, our region’s restaurants always show well on national lists, attracting foodies from far and wide. Entrepreneurs are busy in the kitchen too, with backing from local investment programs like Oregon Angel Food.

Metals and Machinery | 22,600 employees 🛠️

Less headbanging, more clanging. Think: specialized products like Freightliner Trucks, pocket knives from Leatherman Tool Group, and lab-grown diamonds from Element Six. Four ports in the region, including deep-water docks in Portland and Vancouver, handle 30+ million tons of cargo a year — a huge boon for this category.

3 MORE INDUSTRIES + WHO'S HIRING

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Monday, Nov. 29

Men’s World Cup Watch Party | USA vs Iran | Tuesday, Nov. 29 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Vino Veritas Wine Bar & Bottle Shop, 7835 SE Stark St., Portland | Free | In the final group stage game, it’s “win and you’re in” for the red, white, and blue.
ZooLights | Tuesday, Nov. 29 + Wednesday, Nov. 30 | 4:30-9:30 p.m. | Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd., Portland | $65 | Stay in your warm car to take in the dazzling displays on this drive-thru-only night.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. LA Clippers | Tuesday, Nov. 29 | 7 p.m. | Moda Center, 1 N. Center Court St., Portland | $24+ | Welcome the hometown squad back to Rip City following their East Coast trip.
“Concert for George” | Tuesday, Nov. 29 | 7:15 p.m. | Living Room Theaters, 341 SW 10th Ave., Portland | $16 | Celebrate George Harrison on the anniversary of his death with this one-night-only showing of the concert film, featuring Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and more rockstars.
Portland Mercury’s Holiday Drink Week | Tuesday, Nov. 29-Sunday, Dec. 4 | Times vary | Various locations, Portland |$7 | Sip specially crafted, original holiday-themed cocktails mixed by the best bartenders in town for just $7.

Wednesday, Nov. 30

Portland Winterhawks vs. Seattle Thunderbirds | Wednesday, Nov. 30 | 7 p.m. | Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way, Portland | $26-$65 | It’ll be all thunder, no lightning from the visiting flock at this avian showdown.
White Album Xmas | Wednesday, Nov. 30 | 8 p.m. | Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., Portland | $42.50-$65 | Throw your hat into the ring for this holiday circus spectacular and tribute to The Beatles featuring The Nowhere Band and Rose City Circus.

Thursday, Dec. 1

Black Nativity | Thursday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 4 | Times vary | Brunish Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $30 | Based on the Nativity story, this spirit-filled, inspiring gospel song play by poet Langston Hughes features traditional Christmas carols and holiday tradition.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

FILL UP YOUR CALENDAR

Events

‘Tis the season for a festive stroll at The Grotto

Presented by a PDXtoday Partner

The Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights runs through Fri., Dec. 30 (closed Christmas Day). | Photo provided by The Grotto

Grab your coziest Christmas sweater — we’re checking out all things merry and bright at The Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights. Now through Friday, Dec. 30, The Grotto is bringing dazzling lights and festive entertainment to its 62-acre sanctuary.

What to expect: a walk-through experience featuring 2 million twinkling lights, outdoor carolers, puppet shows for kids, and other holiday entertainment. New this year, there’s also a walk-through Christmas tree display.

Need to warm up after strolling through the lights? Head inside The Chapel of Mary for a performance by a local choir group. (Over 150 choirs will perform over the festival’s 35 nights.) The cathedral-like acoustics and holiday hymns promise to fill up even the Grinchiest among us with Christmas spirit.

This time of year can be hectic, so plan ahead and purchase tickets if the Festival of Lights is on your holiday bucket list. Pro tip: Check out the value nights for discounted admission.*

HOLIDAY CHEER THIS WAY

Weather

41º | Light rain | 75% chance of rain
For now, the dreaded (or beloved?) white stuff is not in Portland’s immediate future, but the Oregon Department of Transportation is warning that a shortage of snowplow drivers could lead to delays when a winter storm does hit. Be ready, and “don’t start heading for home after the storm hits,” said spokesman Don Hamilton. ❄️ (Portland Tribune)

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:28 a.m.
Set: 4:29 p.m.

Seasonal

Are you tannenbaumed out that you don’t have a Christmas tree yet? Well, this guide has all the in-fir-mation you need to find one locally. You can give us our gold star later. 🎄
Portland is tied with Columbia, South Carolina for the longest-running Krampus Festival in the US. On Monday, Dec. 5, don your costumes and meet at Seawallcrest Park to keep Krampus Lauf alive by visiting bars, taking pictures, and bringing revelry to Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Let’s show Columbia how it’s done — sorry, COLAtoday. 👹

Today Is

The start of ski season at Mt. Hood Meadows, although it will be a “soft opening” with only beginner and intermediate terrain accessible. More routes should be ready by this weekend, with over a foot of snow in the forecast for Government Camp this week. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Open

It’s blue da ba dee da ba di. Gigantic Brewing’s new location on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is now open. The pub, in the former Hawthorne Fish House space, will serve European-inspired fare from a full kitchen to accompany its 20 taps. 🍻 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

List

It’s cuffing season. Portland was named one of the country’s best cities for singles, according to WalletHub’s “2022’s Best & Worst Cities for Singles.” Stumptown ranked No. 5 based on three key dimensions — economics (the price of going out), fun and recreation, and dating opportunities (who is available to date).

Deal

Well-done, Kansas City Steak Company: Now through Sat., Dec. 31, take advantage of this unmis-steak-ably good BOGO beef deal. Buy 10 steakhouse-quality top sirloin steaks wrapped in bacon for $79.99 and get 10 steakburgers free (bonus: you’ll also get free shipping). 🥩*

Stat

Location, location, location. According to our recent survey, 58% of respondents shared that they’d be willing to move out of state to get their dream home, compared to 32% in a national Opendoor report. 🏡*

Travel

Two words: Pineapple Cottage. This Hakalau, Hawaii Vrbo has sweeping ocean views, an outdoor hanging bed for lounging, and is on a fruit farm (think: lemons, oranges, lychee and pineapple at your fingertips). Book as a January getaway or as the best holiday gift ever for only $195 avg/night. 🍍*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

The season for giving

Become a member today to start enjoying special benefits. | Graphic by 6AM City

Happy Giving Tuesday, everyone. We’re excited to announce that we’re launching new benefits for our membership program.

To support Portland we will donate 10% of all new PDXtoday membership contributions to Feeding America and PDXtoday will match 100% of the donated amount.

PDXtoday membership is the gift that keeps on giving.

BECOME A MEMBER

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Ben.

Editor’s pick: Before The Reser officially opened, I had the opportunity to tour Beaverton’s long-awaited performing arts center. Now, I’m finally going to see a show there — “The Nutcracker,” performed by Oregon International Ballet Academy.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We’ve got a Portland holiday itinerary for when the relatives are in town and you just have to get out of the house.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Terri Kiesenhofer | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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