Key Facts
- Per Capita Real GDP
- $38,339 Rank: 18/50 (2007)
- Population
- 3,790,060 Rank: 27/50 (2008)
- Per Capita Personal Income
- $33,666 Rank: 28/50 (2006)
- Unemployment Rate
- 5.50% Rank: 39/50 (2008)
- Business Tax Climate Index
- Rank: 10/50 (2008)
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Oregon: Introduction
Oregon is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, bordering Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Many of Oregon’s earliest settlers made their way to the state through the Oregon Trail during the 19th century. This was the main route by which pioneers from the east made their way to the western United States. Natural resources have historically been the engine that drove Oregon’s economy, thanks in large part to the state’s vast expanses of forest and a booming lumber industry. The first and second World Wars brought a wave of development to the state, which became an integral producer of ships, aluminum, food, and lumber.
In recent years, Oregon has attempted to move away from natural resource dependence towards a mixed manufacturing and marketing economy. A number of high-tech firms are based in, or have major subsidiaries in Oregon. This concentration of firms has given rise to the so-called Silicon Forest area of Portland. Manufacturing today makes up the largest portion of GDP, with wood products topping the list of manufactured goods. Finance and insurance and health care are some of the fastest growing industries in Oregon. Agriculture is a relatively small contributor to GDP, but the industry is known for its wide diversity of outputs. Oregon’s top exports are computers and electronic components, crops, and transportation equipment, while its top export markets are Canada, Japan and China respectively.
