Monthly Archives: January 2018

Unemployment Insurance Benefits Information for Furloughed Federal Workers

Question: I am a federal worker who has been furloughed. Am I eligible for unemployment?

Answer: You are eligible to file for unemployment insurance compensation. You would need to meet personal and monetary eligibility, but would be considered laid off due to lack of work.

Q. How do I file for benefits?

A. You must file online at labor.idaho.gov/claimantportal. We do not file claims over the telephone. If you do not have internet access or need help filing online, you may file at your nearest local Idaho Department of Labor office. If you are filing a claim against Idaho, but live in another state, you also may file your claim online at labor.idaho.gov/claimantportal.

After you have successfully filed your initial claim, you will file your weekly continued claim reports at labor.idaho.gov/claimantportal. You may want to check out these helpful videos. ow.ly/pEO6P ow.ly/i/3nvw0

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Fewer Idaho Teens Working Summer Jobs

In the summer of 2017, thousands of Idaho teens took jobs. But the percentage of teens participating in the labor force remains far below its level in earlier decades. In Idaho, just as nationwide, there’s been a long-term decline in teen participation. Does that decline matter?

Summer Jobs

Summer jobs in Idaho typically peak in July. In the past four summers, Idaho employers added an average 12,600 jobs between April and July. Only one sector usually decreases employment between April and July – education. Between 2014 and 2017, it lost an average of 8,500 jobs between those months. The sectors that typically add the most summer jobs are leisure and hospitality — restaurants, hotels and recreational facilities; federal agencies — the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management; retail — especially gas stations, convenience stores and specialty stores serving tourists; and wholesale — especially those serving the construction, forestry and agricultural industries.

Many of those jobs are taken by teens. Between the second and third quarters of 2016, the number of 14- to 18-year-olds on Idaho payrolls grew from 18,531 to 26,069, according to the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators.

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Volunteer Opportunities, Celebrations Mark MLK / Idaho Human Rights Day

Monday, Jan. 15, Idaho joins with the nation to recognize the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to celebrate MLK / Idaho Human Rights Day. Organizations throughout Idaho are holding events and offering activities to celebrate.

MLK Day marks the recognition of the birth and life of the Baptist minister and noted civil rights leader. National legislation passed in 1994 encouraged Americans to transform the annual holiday into a day of citizen action in honor of King. Those who have the day off from work are asked to “make it a day on, not a day off” by participating in one of the many day of service activities across Idaho. All events take place Jan. 15 unless noted otherwise.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity in December 2017

Information provided in this article is from professional sources, news releases, weekly and daily newspapers, television and other media.

Northern Idaho
North Central Idaho
Southwestern Idaho
South Central Idaho
Southeastern
Eastern Idaho

NORTHERN IDAHO – Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai & Shoshone counties

Kootenai County

  • Construction has begun on a $7.3 million parking structure in downtown Coeur d’Alene. The 360-space garage is being spearheaded by the city’s urban renewal agency, Ignite CDA, which notes that constrained parking space presents a barrier to the redevelopment of many properties downtown. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
  • A $6 million medical building is under construction in the Riverstone development in Coeur d’Alene. North Idaho Dermatology will occupy part of the building when it is completed later in 2018. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
  • Kootenai Health has begun a $4.3 million renovation involving at least 17,000 square feet and three departments in its main hospital building in Coeur d’Alene. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
  • SmaK Plastics – a Vancouver-based manufacturer with a facility in Coeur d’Alene – announced plans to expand its northern Idaho workforce. SmaK currently employs 18 people in its Coeur d’Alene facility, but plans to expand to roughly 40 by the second quarter of 2018. Source: Spokane Journal of Business

Openings

  • DC Engineering in Coeur d’Alene.
  • Big Sky Auto Wholesale in Post Falls.

Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov, regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
(208) 457-8789 ext 4451

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