Comparing Job Quality in Logging and Forestry Services in Oregon

Abstract

As logging employment continues to decline and forestry service employment grows, as they have over the past several decades, it is increasingly important to understand the relative quality of jobs in these two sectors. This study compares wages and job durability of loggers and forestry service workers in Oregon using unemployment insurance data. Using multiple wage measures (hourly, annual, and outside wages) and multiple job durability measures (employer changes, outside employment, seasonality, quarterly hours worked, and retention), this study finds that loggers typically earn more and have more durable jobs than forestry service workers.