Oregon’s retail payrolls are shrinking at a clip that makes the rest of the country look almost stable, and you do not need to stare at many empty windows in Portland to see it. From downtown boutiques to big-box chains, smaller staffs and permanent “for lease” signs have become part of the background scenery.
According to OregonLive, state figures show Oregon’s retail employment is down nearly 6% from 2019, while retail jobs nationally are only about 1% below their pre-pandemic level. Official payroll tables from the Oregon Employment Department put retail trade at roughly 204,400 jobs in late 2025 and note the sector has been sliding again since around 2023.
Why Online Shopping And Automation Matter
Online shopping keeps chewing into brick-and-mortar territory. Recent retail e-commerce estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau put internet sales at the mid-teens percentage of total retail in recent quarters, a clear jump from the pre-pandemic years. Longer-term analysis from the Bureau of Labor Statistics…..