Aerospace Manufacturing in Oregon: A Small Industry with a Large Footprint

Aerospace manufacturing probably doesn't spring to mind when compiling a list of Oregon's major industries, and with good reason. It employs fewer than 3,000 people, less than one percent of the state's total employment and a drop in the bucket compared to nearby Washington and California, who collectively employ nearly 150,000 or nearly 1 out of every 3 aerospace jobs in the nation. Nonetheless, this sector provides well-paying jobs from Portland to Bend, Eugene to Elgin. And when you dig deeper, you'll find thousands more jobs at hundreds of Oregon companies that supply the local and global aerospace industry with products ranging from engine parts and propellers to sun visors and overhead call buttons. http://www.qualityinfo.org/olmisj/ArticleReader?itemid=00005498