NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 22, 2021
Media Contact: Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Karen Jarboe Singletary, Karen.JarboeSingletary@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.9% in September, unchanged from August.

The state’s labor force grew by 1,270 (0.1%) people to 906,191. This is the second largest over-the-month increase this year. Despite this increase, the labor force participation rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4%.

Total employment grew to 880,283, up 0.2% (1,917), while total unemployment dropped 2.4% (-647) to 25,908.

In September, Idaho’s nonfarm payroll jobs decreased to 785,200, down 0.6% (-4,400) from 789,600 in August. Industries showing job losses included private education services (-5.8%); state government (-4%); transportation, warehousing and utilities (-2.8%); local government (-1.7%); health care and social services (-1.4%); financial activities (-1.2%); other services (-1.1%); retail trade (-0.4%); and manufacturing (-0.4%).

Industries that experienced solid growth included information (5.3%); arts, entertainment and recreation (3.7%); and construction (1.9%). Other industries showing growth were accommodation and food services (1%) and professional and business services (0.1%).

Idaho Falls led the state’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in over-the-month nonfarm job growth (0.5%), followed by Pocatello (0.3%), and Coeur d’Alene (0.1%). Boise and Lewiston experienced nonfarm job losses of 2% and 0.7%, respectively.

Year-over-Year

The state’s labor force showed a net loss from September 2020, down 0.3% (-2,408) to 906,191.

Total unemployment dropped 52.7% (-28,941) from September 2020 to 25,908 as out-of-work Idahoans returned to work, pushing the number of people working up 3.1% (26,533) to 880,283.

Idaho’s nonfarm jobs total increased 3.0% (22,600) compared with September 2020 and is 1.5% above its February 2020 pre-pandemic peak.

Every major sector showed increases except for federal government, manufacturing and private educational services which decreased by 5%, 1.6% and 1.3% respectively. Leisure and hospitality – the most adversely affected industry during the pandemic – was 12.6% above where it was one year ago.

All five of Idaho’s MSAs saw year-over-year nonfarm job gains. Pocatello showed the greatest increase at 5.5%, followed by Coeur d’Alene (4.5%), Idaho Falls (4.1%), Lewiston (2.5%) and Boise (2%).

National Comparisons

Nationally, the unemployment rate saw a solid drop from 5.2% in August to 4.8% in September, with the number of unemployed down 655,000 to 7.7 million. The nation’s labor force decreased by 183,000 to 161.3 million. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 194,000 to 147.5 million.

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Idaho’s 2021 BLS release calendar is available at https://www.labor.idaho.gov/lmicalendar