Weyerhaeuser Company, a large employer in this area, closed their laminated beam plant because of over capacity, poor markets, and heavy losses. This shutdown affected 165 permanent employees. It is estimated that 3,200 timber related jobs have been lost in Lane County since 1990, with 870 being in the Cottage Grove area. Much of Cottage Grove employment is still dependent upon timber related industry, which suggests an element of instability in the future economic base of the City if the transition to other types of industries does not complete itself. Further, both are increasing at a much slower rate in Cottage Grove than in the state.
Educational attainment is the average number of years of school completed among adults.
Educational attainment is commonly associated with income levels. That is, when the average level of education achieved increases, the potential for residents to realize higher income levels is expected to increase. Compared to the whole state, the percent of the population 65 and over has not grown as quickly in Cottage Grove. The Community's goals include encouraging demographic diversification, which involves support for an increasing number of retirees. Over the last decade, Cottage Grove's annual growth rate has averaged significantly lower than this.