Economic Development: An Emphasis on Traded Sector Success
Economic development has been at the core of OBC’s work since we were founded. Today, we’re focused on working with partners to develop and advocate policies and investments that advance the Oregon Business Plan’s foundational priority for shared prosperity: the need to grow, create, and attract good jobs.
The heart of that work is bolstering the strength of the state’s traded sector industries. That’s because traded sector firms – those that export goods and services to national and international markets – are the engines of the state’s economy. They ring up sales outside of Oregon, bringing in fresh dollars that support families, local businesses, and government services. As these firms grow and prosper, so do our communities. Learn more about our work in industry clusters here.
Within this framework, manufacturing is vital to the Oregon economy and a key focus of the Oregon Business Plan. Oregon is a manufacturing state, with more than 200,000 jobs that pay better than the state average and contribute $33 billion to state GDP.
Our current priorities in economic development are to:
- Help Oregon manufacturers to succeed in a rapidly evolving manufacturing environment
- Foster greater entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusiveness in business
- Maintain Oregon’s advantages in natural resources, quality of life and trade proximity
- Improve Oregon’s overall business climate
Oregon has an extraordinary opportunity to grow its manufacturing base across many sectors. Our policy recommendations highlight specific changes needed in land use (more land, more infrastructure), workforce (significant need for investment in training), regulatory environment, research, and more. See reports on current crucial sectors:
