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Portland Metro Chamber economic report: region risks population loss and job lag without urgent alignment on housing and jobs
Summary
Eco Northwest and the Portland Metro Chamber warned commissioners that the four-county Portland metro area faces population decline, weaker job growth than peer regions and central‑city office losses; the report urged coordinated action on housing production, economic diversification and public‑private partnerships.
Portland Metro Chamber and consultant Eco Northwest briefed Clackamas County commissioners April 8 on the 2025 "State of the Economy" report, warning that the four‑county Portland‑Vancouver region faces population decline, weak job growth relative to peer metro areas and signs of a possible urban "doom loop" in the central business district unless leaders act with urgency to align housing, job creation and investment strategies.
Brittney Bejent of Eco Northwest summarized the study’s findings: the metro region’s natural population change (births minus deaths) has fallen and is expected to go negative within five years, meaning population growth will be increasingly dependent on in‑migration. At the same time the region has lagged national job growth in recent years, with traded‑sector industries such as professional services, manufacturing and finance—critical sources of outside earnings—showing declines or weak recovery in some counties.
The consultants highlighted a divergence in migration and income patterns: higher‑earning households have moved out of Multnomah County in recent years, while nearby Clark County (Washington) has recovered population and jobs more rapidly after the pandemic. Eco Northwest framed central‑city office vacancy and falling downtown leasing activity as indicators of a possible doom loop: falling demand reduces revenues, which constrains investment and services, which can then further depress demand. "Without action we will continue to compete for population and jobs, not assume growth will return," Bejent said.
Report authors recommended several priorities: accelerate housing production across the region, diversify the economic base beyond a few traded sectors, and deploy public‑private partnerships to catalyze investment and redevelopment in the central city and other strategic sites. Andrew Hone of the Portland Metro Chamber said the report is offered as a policy resource to encourage cross‑jurisdictional alignment on economic priorities and to spur action to attract residents and traded‑sector employers.
Commissioners asked questions about regional coordination, the role of local taxes and land availability, and how to keep businesses that start in the region from relocating as they scale. Eco Northwest and chamber leaders said the issues are interdependent: housing affordability, land‑use and permitting, workforce pipelines and business retention each play a role.
Ending: County staff said the briefing will inform upcoming county economic‑development work and that staff will present a county business‑engagement strategy in coming weeks. The report’s authors and chamber urged regional coordination and faster action on housing and catalytic projects.
