BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) -- State and city officials say IBM will hire 600 new employees in Beaverton, Ore., as the computer giant expands its presence in the state.
IBM's acquisition of Beaverton-based Wilshire Credit Corp. along with the introduction of new mortgage software is fueling the need for more workers.
Combined, Beaverton and the state will contribute $350,000 for IBM to train the work force. Officials say that IBM is expected to spend about $8 million in capital improvements for the expansion.
City of Beaverton spokeswoman Amy Miner said Tuesday there will be no other subsidy for IBM other than the workforce training.
Beaverton and state officials had been working with IBM to bring the expansion to Oregon. IBM had considered Charlotte, N.C., and Tulsa, Okla.
With Oregon's unemployment rates staying high, officials welcomed IBM. In May, the rate hovered around 10.6 percent.
Officials said they don't know when the new jobs will start, but said retraining will begin as soon as July.
About 90 of the new jobs are expected to go to Salem, Ore., where Wilshire Credit had a campus. Wilshire has about 710 employees, with about half in Salem.
Beaverton spokeswoman Amy Miner said the new jobs are expected to carry salaries averaging between $35,000 to $50,000 a year.
