For Immediate Release: Dec. 20, 2019
Information Contact: Craig Shaul (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201 or Robert Kabel (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886
State rate remains at or under 3 percent for two full years
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent in November for the fifth consecutive month.
An additional 2,221 people made themselves available for work in November, pushing Idaho’s seasonally adjusted labor force up to 886,877. The number of unemployed increased by 146 to 25,880. Total employment grew by 2,075 to 860,997.
Idaho’s labor force participation rate – the percentage of people age 16 years or older working or looking for work – remained unchanged at 64.1 percent.
Over the year, November’s statewide labor force was up 24,330 (2.8 percent), total employment was up 22,174 (2.6 percent) and there were 2,156 more unemployed individuals. Seasonally-adjusted nonfarm jobs were up 2.7 percent from November 2018, a gain of 19,700 jobs. Professional and business services (7.2 percent) and financial activities (4.9 percent) showed the largest percentage gain while natural resources (-2.9 percent) and information (-2.3 percent) showed the largest percentage losses.