The silver tsunami — the aging of the baby boom generation — is posing a challenge to Idaho employers throughout the state. In Idaho, baby boomers – Americans born between 1946 and 1964 – are retiring at the rate of 52 a day. In a tight labor market, replacing these workers is not easy. Even when a replacement worker is found, the business has still lost an experiencedworker with deep institutional knowledge about the business — things like how a problem that just cropped up was solved 15 years ago, who’s the best contact at a supplier that isn’t providing what was promised, and other insights that contribute to a business’s competitiveness and bottom line.
Monthly Archives: August 2018
State Philanthropic Organizations Hosting Community Conversations
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Aug. 20, 2018
Information Contact: Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061
The Idaho Community Foundation, Idaho Nonprofit Center and Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, will complete their series of community conversations across the state in Hailey and Pocatello Aug. 29 and Sept. 5. Conversations will focus on community needs and challenges, existing resources and promising new solutions in the charitable sector.
Idaho’s July Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 2.9 Percent
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Aug. 17, 2018
Information Contact: Craig Shaul (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201 or Robert Kabel (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886
Over-the-Year Job Growth Second in Nation Behind Utah
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent in July, continuing at or below 3 percent for the 11th consecutive month.
The state’s labor force – the total number of people 16 years of age and older working or looking for work – continued to increase, gaining 1,086 people from June to July for a total of 852,714.
Total employment increased by 998 to 828,111, keeping pace with the state’s labor force growth, while the number of unemployed remained virtually unchanged at 24,603.
Young Man Finds Opportunity in the U.S. Through Idaho Labor Program
Peter Moats is funny, resilient and a true survivor, says Debi Middlekoop, workforce consultant at the Idaho Department of Labor in Moscow.
The 21-year-old Peter was born in China and was abandoned at a young age. A woman who became “Grandma” found him alone in a city of more than 8 million people in the South China province of Guangdong. With her help, the two lived on the streets for a few years. When Grandma became ill, she took Peter to an orphanage where he stayed for a few more years until he learned Grandma had died.
Peter’s story took several twists and turns over the years before he ended up in Idaho where he eventually connected with Middlekoop and Monica Jones at the Department of Labor and he began to see some of his dreams become reality.
South Central Idaho’s 2,500 May Graduates Have ‘Go On’ Choices
The labor force receives an infusion of workers each May after high school graduation. In south central Idaho, early estimates show nearly 2,500 students graduated this spring from public schools in the eight-county area. The final numbers will be released later this year to account for students still completing courses over the summer and those who still plan to graduate by the end of the year.
Finding data on where the graduates end up after the ceremony is more difficult to track. The ‘go on’ rate, or the percentage of high school graduates who continue on to college or community college for degrees or certificates, is an imperfect estimate. Idaho’s rate has hovered around 50 percent, up or down five percent, in recent years. A sizeable portion of the 50 percent who do not ‘go on’ need employment, roughly 1,250 regionally, based on the 2018 graduation rate estimates.
Idaho Receives More than $1.1 Million for AmeriCorps Programs
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Aug. 7, 2018
Information Contact: Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061
Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism has received a $1,164,578 grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to fund Idaho AmeriCorps programs in 2018-2019. The grants will support the service of 155 AmeriCorps members statewide. AmeriCorps members give a year of intensive service on a full-time or part-time basis.
Around Idaho: Economic Activity in July 2018
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
Benewah County
- Jack Buell Trucking purchased a wood chip mill in Texas and announced that the mill would be disassembled wholesale and relocated to the company’s Milltown facility. In addition to trucking, the company operates log yards and heavy hauling concerns. The company anticipates that the reconstruction of the wood chip mill will take two to three months, but once operational the facility will double the company’s current capacity. Source: St. Maries Gazette-Record
Kootenai County
- Seltice Mini Storage in Post Falls has begun a $1 million expansion to add an additional 150 storage units. In addition to expanding storage capacity, the company plans to upgrade the facility’s security systems. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
- Crews broke ground on a new 50,000 square-foot industrial building in the Riverbend Commercial Park in Post Falls. The project is expected to be completed in August and is anticipated to accommodate up to five tenants. Kootenai County currently has low inventories of available industrial and warehousing space. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
- Construction has begun on a new 294-unit apartment complex in Coeur d’Alene. The complex, which will be called The Northern at Coeur d’Alene Place, will be built through 2020 by CDA developer Anderl Development LLC. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov, regional economist
Idaho Department of Labor
(208) 457-8789 ext 4451
DMV Computer Upgrades Mean Delay in Verification in Claimant Portal
Q. Why is my profile ‘not verified’ in the Claimant Portal?
The Idaho Department of Labor routinely verifies your claim information to protect your identity. Comparing your information with the Department of Motor Vehicles is one of our verification methods. Due to DMV computer upgrades, your profile information will temporarily show as ‘not verified’ from Wednesday, Aug. 8 until Monday, Aug. 13. Once upgrades are complete, we will complete the identity verification.
Idaho Employment Projected to Grow at 1.4% Annually
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Aug. 3, 2018
Information Contact: Sam Wolkenhauer (208) 332-3570 ext. 4451 and Hope Morrow (208) 332-3570 ext. 4340
New projections from the Idaho Department of Labor forecast that the state will add just over 105,000 jobs by 2026, bringing total statewide employment to approximately 841,000.
In 2016, statewide employment was 735,000. This new projection indicates expected growth of 14.4 percent for the 10-year period from 2016 to 2026, for an annual growth rate of 1.4 percent.
As high-tech industries continue to grow, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) occupations are projected to grow faster than the rest of the labor market as a whole, at 17 percent. Within STEM fields, health occupations lead the way with a projected growth rate of 23.6 percent. STEM occupations are projected to grow by 14,000 new jobs through 2026, accounting for 14 percent of all new jobs in Idaho.
Beyond STEM, employment growth is projected to occur across a wide swathe of industries in Idaho. Service producing industries are expected to grow at 1.4 percent annually, adding 83,000 new jobs through 2026 and accounting for the bulk of Idaho’s employment growth. Goods-producing industries are projected to grow slightly slower, at 1.2 percent annually, and adding 16,000 jobs by 2026.
Idaho industries with the highest projected growth rates are concentrated in the service sector. Transportation and warehousing has the highest projected growth rate at 3.6 percent, followed by real estate and rental leasing services at 2.4 percent, and health care and social assistance at 2.1 percent. Construction is projected to grow at 1.7 percent annually, which is the highest projected growth rate among goods-producing industries.
Idaho’s expanding labor market is expected to create substantial needs in a variety of occupations. While economic growth is projected to create 105,000 new positions, the routine churn and turnover of the labor market is expected to create approximately 809,000 openings through 2026. This means that roughly 913,000 total job openings will be created in Idaho over 10 years.
The largest numbers of job openings are expected to occur in occupations with a large number of positions and with relatively high turnover rates. Office and administrative support occupations lead the way, with 134,000 projected openings through 2026, followed by food preparation and serving occupations with 114,000 openings, and sales and related occupations with 109,000 openings.
Diverse job growth in Idaho will create openings for workers with a wide variety of educational backgrounds. In 2026, roughly 38 percent of jobs in Idaho will require a high school diploma or less, while 32 percent will require some college but less than a four-year degree, such as an associate degree or occupational certification. Twenty percent proejof Idaho’s jobs will require a bachelor’s degree, while 10 percent will require a master’s degree or higher.
See more details on the labor market website.