Oregon BOLI Highlights Progress, Persistent Challenges in 2025 ‘State of the Worker’ Report
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) released its 2025 report detailing a “notable first step forward” despite ongoing challenges stemming from a gap between new worker protections enacted by the legislature and the resources allocated to enforce them. The report, released September 17, 2025, outlines recent investments and future plans to address a growing backlog of cases and reduce wait times for Oregonians seeking assistance.
The agency’s budget bill, House Bill 5015, provided funding for 34 new positions, prompting BOLI to anticipate “real, sustained progress” as staff are onboarded. These positions will be reclassified across the agency, with 15 additions to the civil rights division, 21 in wage and hour, and 14 in business operations. BOLI is directed to report to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means during the 2026 legislative session on the impact of these investments, including updates on staffing, workload, and backlogs.
Lawmakers passed 22 bills with a fiscal impact on BOLI in the last session. While the agency has launched a website to track these new laws and their effective dates (https://www.oregon.gov/boli/employers/Pages/Legislative-Updates.aspx),BOLI estimates that 10 will have a “significant impact,” but only three were fully funded.
“this mismatch between new protections on paper and resources allocated to the Bureau creates a dangerous gap: Oregonians believe their rights are protected under new laws, but the enforcement capacity doesn’t exist,” the report stated. This pattern has contributed to the ongoing backlog, with over 70 new laws related to BOLI’s responsibilities passed since 2015, but only 10 accompanied by necessary funding, according to BOLI’s testimony in a March hearing.
Looking ahead, BOLI anticipates investments will continue to roll out through 2025 and early 2026. A new case management system is expected to be operational by 2028. The agency also plans to collaborate with the legislature, stakeholders, and the governor to secure additional funding during the 2026 legislative session.
