Monthly Archives: July 2019

Idaho Department of Labor Releases Grangeville Area Service Plan

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 30, 2019
Information Contact: Darlene Carnopis, darlene.carnopis@labor.idaho.gov

Grangeville – The Idaho Department of Labor is implementing its new service model in the Grangeville region, providing direct mobile services to Grangeville, Riggins, Kamiah and Nezperce beginning Aug. 1.

Labor staff in Grangeville will continue to offer the same services through walk-in hours and appointment times in Grangeville as well as the three additional communities. Those services include resume writing, applying for jobs, filing for unemployment insurance benefits, mock interviews, connections to community resources, job training assistance and more.

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Idaho Department of Labor Releases Latah County Service Plan

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 30, 2019
Information Contact: Darlene Carnopis, darlene.carnopis@labor.idaho.gov

Moscow – The Idaho Department of Labor has implemented its new service model in Latah County, providing direct mobile services to Moscow, Troy, Potlatch and Kendrick.

Labor staff will offer the same services they have traditionally provided in all four communities through walk-in hours and appointment times. Those services include resume writing, applying for jobs, filing for unemployment insurance benefits, mock interviews, connections to community resources, job training assistance and more.

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Idaho’s June Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 2.8 Percent

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 19, 2019
Information Contact: Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215 or Robert Kabel (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886

Over-The-Year Nonfarm Job Growth Remains Stable

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained steady at 2.8 percent in June, the 19th consecutive month at or below 3 percent.

An additional 2,107 people made themselves available for work between May and June, pushing Idaho’s seasonally adjusted labor force up to 873,645. The number of unemployed increased by 71 to 24,662. Total employment grew by 2,036 to 848,983.

Idaho’s labor force participation rate – the percentage of people age 16 years or older working or looking for work – increased slightly to 63.9 percent.

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More than 40 Employers to Attend Idaho Falls Hiring Event July 25

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 17, 2019
Information Contact: Mike Brown (208) 557-2500 ext. 3437

The Idaho Department of Labor is hosting a multi-employer hiring Thursday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside on the grass between Bonneville High School and Rocky Mountain Middle School in Idaho Falls. The schools are located at 3165 E. Iona Road.

More than 40 employers have signed up to attend, ranging from school districts and colleges to military recruiters, local and federal government, private companies, employment agencies and more. Many positions are available and span a variety of occupations.

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CodeWorks Program Prepares Students for Real-World Jobs

Photo courtesy CodeWorks

Just about everyone knows computer code runs the backend of computer systems, web sites, mobile apps and more.

When Ramsey Bland decided to apply for a 13-week immersion class at Boise CodeWorks, the only computer code he knew was the bar code on the side of a pizza box.

Bland, 23, had studied mechanical engineering at Boise State University for several years, but he couldn’t keep up with the cost of going to college full time. His job delivering pizza covered the rent, living expenses and college. It was a stretch.

When he applied for the CodeWorks immersion class, a super-intensive drill where he could learn how to write four computer languages in a little more than three months, he learned how to plan projects and solve complex problems as part of a team.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity in June 2019

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

  • Seattle-based hardware retailer Hardwick and Sons is moving to Post Falls after nearly 90 years in Seattle’s University District. The store’s owners cited a growing tax burden in Washington as their primary motivation for relocating to northern Idaho. Source: Journal of Business
  • Gunfighters LLC, a gun holster manufacturer based in central Washington, is relocating its operations to Rathdrum. The company cited a more “gun-friendly culture” in Idaho, as well as a lack of space in their current facilities, as their reasons for moving to northern Idaho. Source: Journal of Business
  • A new jet center owned and operated by StanCraft is set to open at the Coeur d’Alene airport. The facility, which will create about 50 jobs, will be used to update aircraft and serve as a fueling station. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Coeur d’Alene City Council approved plans to build a $2.6 million water administration building. The project will be funded entirely with the Water Department’s reserve funds. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The city of Athol received a Community Development Block Grant from the Idaho Department of Commerce to support a $3.5 million water improvement project. City officials initiated the improvement project, noting that the city’s aging water system lacks the necessary pressure to meet Idaho environmental quality requirements. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

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Public Invited to Meetings on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Rule Changes

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 8, 2019
Information Contact: Joshua McKenna, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3919

The Idaho Department of Labor is holding public meetings about rule changes to Idaho Administrative Rules regarding unemployment insurance benefits.

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Idaho Labor Unveils New Service Model

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 8, 2019
Information Contact: Georgia Smith (208) 332-3570, ext. 2102

BOISE, Idaho – Idaho Department of Labor Director Jani Revier today announced a new statewide model that will directly serve more Idahoans.

“We are bringing the Department of Labor to the citizens of rural Idaho. This is a new way to provide service, an Idaho way, that addresses the unique regional challenges that we face in our state,” said Revier. “We want to provide more Idahoans top-notch service when they need it, where they need it in order to help them get back to work and access the benefits they are entitled to.”

The new model modernizes how the department delivers services, focusing on increasing Idaho Labor’s presence while decreasing its physical footprint. After several months of transition, there will be six primary Idaho Labor regional offices in Post Falls, Lewiston, Caldwell, Twin Falls, Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Five affiliate offices will remain in Sandpoint, Orofino, Boise, Burley and Salmon. These 11 offices will offer walk-in services.

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Measuring Underemployment in Idaho’s Counties

The unemployment rate speaks to labor market conditions including the availability of labor and the level of economic distress. But the unemployed are not the only potential pool of new hires and not the only ones experiencing economic distress.

The official definition of “unemployed” includes only those people who are jobless and have actively looked for work in the past month. “Marginally attached workers” are jobless, want to work, but have given up looking for work because they believe there are no jobs currently available for them. Then there are the workers who want to work full time but currently are working part time (less than 35 hours a week) because they are unable to find full-time jobs.

Recognizing these other forms of labor market distress, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has developed six alternative measures of labor underutilization. Find the BLS measures and descriptions at https://www.bls.gov/lau/stalt.htm.

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