Most common jobs in Oregon 150 years ago -- and now

Adapted from an article originally written by: Stacker

(APRIL 8, 2022) With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact the global economy, the current job market is a hot topic in the news. But while the pandemic itself is, historically, something unusual, the U.S. economy that we know today has a long history of expansions, recessions, and evolution.

At the time of the American Revolution in the 1770s, most of the job market in the U.S. revolved around agriculture or getting food in some way. Many individuals and communities farmed. They often did not grow enough to have extra to sell for profits. As the country grew, so did its economy, springing forth during the Industrial Revolution of the late 1700s and early 1800s. This shifted the nation’s economic focus from agriculture to manufacturing and other forms of business. Inventions like the steam engine and cotton gin accelerated production, feeding a booming job market that was met with immigrants eager to find work.

By the mid- to late-1800s, the U.S. economy and job market saw many periods of rapid growth followed by panics or depressions. This economic disquiet was caused by an unstable stock market and changing levels of trust in the federal government’s ability to regulate cash flow and support banks. In turn, the uncertain economy produced an unstable job market.

In an effort to capture a snapshot of the U.S. job market’s history, Stacker compiled a list of the most common jobs in Oregon from 150 years ago using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Here is how the results compare with the top 10 jobs in Oregon in 2020:

#1. Farmers and planters

- Oregon employment: 9,758

- National employment: 2,977,711

--- #1 most common job in the U.S. in 1870

What was the#1 job in Oregon in 2020? fast-food and counter workers

#2. Miners

- Oregon employment: 3,965

- National employment: 152,107

--- #10 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #2 job in Oregon in 2020? stock and order filler (such as at an Amazon warehouse)

#3. Agricultural laborers

- Oregon employment: 3,126

- National employment: 2,885,996

--- #2 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #3 job in Oregon in 2020? nurse

#4. General laborers

- Oregon employment: 2,962

- National employment: 1,031,666

--- #3 most common job in the U.S.

What is the #4 job in Oregon in 2020? general and operations manager

#5. Carpenters and joiners

- Oregon employment: 916

- National employment: 344,596

--- #5 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #5 job in Oregon in 2020? customer service representative

#6. Domestic servants

- Oregon employment: 830

- National employment: 975,734

--- #4 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #6 job in Oregon in 2020? cashier

#7. Blacksmiths

- Oregon employment: 544

- National employment: 141,774

--- #11 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #7 job in Oregon in 2020? office clerk

#8. Draymen, hackmen, teamsters, etc. (wagon driver)

- Oregon employment: 498

- National employment: 120,756

--- #13 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #8 job in Oregon in 2020? freight, stock, and material mover

#9. Clerks in stores

- Oregon employment: 409

- National employment: 222,504

--- #6 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #9 job in Oregon in 2020? secretary and administrative assistant

#10. Teachers

- Oregon employment: 396

- National employment: 126,822

--- #12 most common job in the U.S.

What was the #10 job in Oregon in 2020? software developer/software quality-assurance analyst and tester