Monthly Archives: January 2013

Economic Activity Around Idaho

Here is a roundup of economic news compiled by the Idaho Department of Labor:

Northern Idaho

• Frontier Communications is returning to its old home in the former GTE building in Coeur d’Alene. The new space will have about 50 employees including the regional headquarters, sales, local operations and the main center for regional Internet traffic.

• Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. has successfully completed acquisition of the remaining 49 percent interest in the Joaquin silver-gold project in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina from Mirasol Resources Ltd. Coeur now owns all the Joaquin project. At the same time, media sources announced the corporation may move its headquarters to Chicago from its founding location in Coeur d’Alene, where it has been for more than 80 years.

North Central Idaho

• The Idaho Department of Labor announced in December it will help pay the cost of training new employees of Ende Machine and Foundry LLC. The Workforce Development Training Fund will provide up to $144,500 to the foundry, which is the anchor tenant at the Craig Mountain Business Park in Craigmont. The foundry currently employs three people Continue reading →

Five Ways to Build an Effective Team

The following is an excerpt from a presentation Boise local office manager Derek Harris gave at the Mountain Home Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. prayer breakfast on Jan. 19.

Today’s theme is Teamwork makes the Dream work – so how do you put together a team? I want to share some thoughts on what it takes to form an effective team – a team that’s committed to achieving your goals – or in our case, putting Idahoans back to work.

Foster a Culture of Collaboration

First make sure your office culture fosters collaboration – one made up of the values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors shared by the group. It’s a powerful element that shapes your work environment, your work relationships and your processes. And if built correctly, your employees will look forward to going to work, feel energized, respected, valued and proud when describing their work to others. They will also enjoy and respect their co-workers more.

Assemble the Best Team Possible

The people Martin Luther King surrounded himself with were committed to a cause larger than themselves and motivated by a calling, a purpose, not their own immediate needs.

When assembling a team, never lose sight of the purpose. Assemble the team with your head, not your heart. And remember there is no “I” in we. No one individual is smarter or has more ideas than the collective minds of a team.

When putting together a team, remember to look for these characteristics as you choose members: people who are enthusiastic, driven, have a positive attitude, a sense of humor and committed to your mission.

And if you are a member of a team or are joining a team (and want to add value), make sure you bring these qualities.

Continue reading →

Mining industry still has great impact in Idaho

By Alivia Metts

Although there are only 175 employers in Idaho’s mining industry, their impact on the state’s economy is much greater.

Mining employs 2,600 people directly, but because of the higher-than-average wages the industry pays, another 6,300 workers owe their jobs indirectly to mining because of the economic activity those high wages generate in what is called the multiplier effect.

Mining also has the potential to pay, on average, higher wages than any other sector. In 2011, the average wage of a mining industry worker was $68,000 compared to $35,500 for all other industries. A shortage of skilled miners, and the higher risks they face on the job, factor into the high paychecks, stock investments and bonuses.

The average wage in the mining industry jumped 12.6 percent from $60,412 adjusted for inflation to $68,021 by 2011 while the average wage in all other sectors declined 2.4 percent in the continuing fallout from the recession. Half of the total wages in 2011 in mining was paid in northern Idaho, where several larger mining headquarters are located and bonuses are common.

Mining experienced a net loss of jobs from 2011 to 2012, but it was just 78 jobs, a far cry from the contraction in other sectors.

Mining depends significantly on the world market prices for silver and gold as well as the supply and demand for other minerals such as silver, iron ore, molybdenum, cobalt and garnet for industrial uses – making it one of the most volatile industries.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2012 Mineral Commodity Summaries, Idaho produced a record $1.29 billion in nonfuel minerals in 2011, up from 1.2 billion in 2010. That ranked Idaho 17th among the 50 states.
The leading commodities in order of value were molybdenum, phosphate rock, silver, sand and gravel for construction and lead.

Molybdenum is used to make automotive parts, gas pipes, stainless steel and, as a pure metal, filament supports in light bulbs, metalworking dies and furnace parts. Phosphate rock is used to produce phosphate fertilizers – one of Idaho’s top exports – and feed additives for livestock. Phosphate rock is only mined in four states. The others are Florida, North Carolina and Utah.

Mining will continue to prosper throughout Idaho in the coming years. The Idaho Division of Financial Management projects that the industry’s employment should grow at an annual average rate of 3.9 percent from 2012 through 2016.

Alivia.Metts@labor.idaho.gov, Regional Economist

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Idaho Employers: Did you know you can post your job openings for free?

Did you know that the Idaho Department of Labor has a free self-service recruitment tool?

Once you have registered in the eJobs system, you can post your job opening, including a description and details. Job seekers can then search IdahoWorks to find your listing.

You can search the database for qualified job seekers by using criteria such as experience or education. And you can review candidates who are interested in your job opening.

Need more details? They can be found on the Labor website here.

idaho@work

A blog for Idaho job seekers and employers