Intern, Economic Research

About the Department

Turn data into real-world impact!
At the Port of Portland, economic data isn’t just numbers - it drives international trade, supports regional economic development, and informs important public decisions. As an Economic Research Intern, you’ll gain hands-on experience working with real data, exploring trends, and contributing to projects that shape the region’s economic future.To be considered for this intern position you must be a current student enrolled in an Oregon/Washington school for the duration of employment. Spring 2026 graduates will not be eligible for this internship unless documentation of continued educational classes (graduate school documentation related to the field) can be provided at the time of application.

About Us
With our three airports (including PDX), three active marine terminals, and six business parks, the Port of Portland is a vital engine for the region’s economy. Across all areas of our work, we prioritize creating good jobs and opportunity for local businesses and improving quality of life for everyone who lives and works in our region.

Our Core Values
We demonstrate leadership by setting principled goals and taking on complex issues in partnership with our community. We celebrate inclusion by welcoming all voices and perspectives to enrich our culture, drive creativity, and be successful in our work. We deliver extraordinary service and achieve high standards in quality through a culture of continuous learning. And we focus on safety and eliminating harm through active prevention, evaluation, and action.

Position Duties

• Build a data catalog of existing Port and regional economic indicators. Develop an understanding of economic data sources, update frequency, uses, and limitations.
• Conduct research in a Port business area (Industrial Development, Trade, Economic Development, Maritime, or Regional Economics) culminating in a white paper and internal presentation to Port staff.
• After training, support internal research requests related to grants, economic impact modeling, trade, and media requests.
• Monitor economic and trade trends to produce summarizes and highlights.
• Prepare charts, slides, or talking points for Port staff.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Currently enrolled in an accredited Oregon/Washington college or university and seeking a degree in Economics, Social Sciences (Political Science, Public Policy, Sociology, International Relations), Statistics, Math, or related fields.
• Student must also provide current unofficial transcript at time of application.
• Maintenance of a minimum 2.5 grade point average and continued enrollment in classes pertinent to the internship is required.

Demonstrated Skills & Knowledge:

• Demonstrate commitment to valuing differences among individuals and a passion for being inclusive.
• Promote safety as a core value and a regular practice in accomplishing work, focus on safety improvements, and comply with safety and health policies and procedures. 
• Show the utmost respect for others and act as a team player.
• Basic economic or data knowledge.
• Comfort with quantitative reasoning and problem-solving.
• Ability to synthesize information into written formats.
• High attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Other Qualifications

Selection Process (tentative schedule):

1. A minimum qualification evaluation of education, training, and experience of submitted application packets will take place by Human Resources the week of April 27, 2026.
   
   
2. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel will perform an evaluation of experience and training taken from your employment application materials including any responses to the supplemental questionnaire.
   
   
3. Our goal is to schedule panel interviews with candidates that successfully passed the SME evaluation as soon as possible. The successful candidate will be notified after interviews are complete, with a tentative start date in June 2026.

Operates airports, marine terminals, and industrial parks in Portland.