By Heather Hintze

EUGENE, Ore.-- The latest Oregon Job Vacancy Survey shows there were 18,242 openings throughout the state in May and June.  That's down about 30,000 from the same time last year.

The healthcare and social assistance industry had the highest openings, with 5,744 vacancies, followed by accommodation and food services (2,535), educational serices (1,554), and retail trade (1,506).

Registered nurses topped the list of occupations, with 1,004 vacancies.  Retail salespersons and nursing aides followed with around 1,500 each.

Local analysts say the reason there are so many jobs in healthcare is that it is a growing field, and takes more training.  Those jobs are often left open for more than 60 days, which could signal a shortage in the industry.