Job Growth in Downtown Portland Surpasses Growth In Metro Area
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The study shows that in Portland, from 2007 - 2011 the number of jobs located in the city core grew .8 percent while jobs in periphery areas dropped by .5 percent.
Not long ago, peripheral areas were growing much faster. In Portland, from 2002 - 2007 the number of city center jobs also grew .8 percent, but jobs in outlying areas grew by 2.2 percent, according to the study.
“People are moving back to the centers of American cities like Portland, and jobs are coming with them,” said Joe Cortright, economist and founding director of City Observatory. “Our analysis revealed tangible evidence that the 50-year tide of employment decentralization, which had been flowing outwards from city centers, has ebbed, and may now be reversing.”
Nationwide city center employment increased .1 percent from 2002 - 2007 and .5 percent from 2007 - 2011. Mean while, employment in outlying areas increased 1.2 percent from 2002 - 2007, but decreased by .1 percent from 2007 - 2011.
The nationwide rise in city center job growth may be attributable to an increase in preference for urban living, growth of knowledge-based industries, and changes in transportation investment, according to the study.
Many companies have announced that they are moving to or expanding operations in city centers to take advantage of the growing number of talented young workers who are now choosing to live in close-in urban neighborhoods, according to City Observatory.
See City Observatory's data graph of Portland job growth below:
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