Monthly Archives: March 2023

Idaho’s 2022 county estimates indicate population growth is slowing

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2023
Media Contact: Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov

Net migration was the driver behind 34,719 people added to Idaho’s population from July 2021 to July 2022, accounting for 88% of its growth, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released this week. The gains were mostly from domestic in-migration – people moving to Idaho from other states – rather than from another country or international in-migration.

Photo: aerial of MeridianThe bureau also reported a population growth slowdown for many counties since the height of the pandemic. The release included revised estimates for 2020 and 2021, along with components of change to explain upticks or troughs from the previous year.

The remaining share of the state’s population growth, nearly 12%, was from natural change – when births outweigh deaths. In 22 counties, deaths outweighed births, resulting in negative natural change, but those losses were offset with net migration growth. This set Idaho apart from the almost three-fourths of all counties nationally that reported more deaths than births, or natural decline.

Since the decennial census – April 2020 – net migration accounted for 91% of population change in Idaho, slightly above the 88% of the past year.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity, March 2023

Information provided in these news updates 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

Region

  • Labor demand in northern Idaho remains robust, with elevated levels of unfilled jobs. All told, there were 1,843 unique job postings in northern Idaho in February 2023, according to data from The Conference Board, with 1,547 posted in Kootenai County. The most in-demand occupation by far was registered nurses, followed by a variety of high-turnover and common service sector positions.

Top 10 occupations by job postings in northern Idaho, February 2023

Table: Top 10 occupations by job postings in northern Idaho, February 2023Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast (formerly EMSI-Burning Glass)

Bonner County

  • Bonner General Hospital will end its labor and delivery services in the coming months, citing physician turnover and staffing shortages as reason. In 2022, 265 babies were delivered at Bonner General. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Kootenai County

  • The Coeur d’Alene City Council is annexing a 440-acre parcel of county land, which will be zoned residential and commercial and developed as Coeur Terre. The development, which will be built out over multiple decades, is expected to eventually include 2,800 housing units, retail and restaurant areas, 18 acres of parks, and land for two public schools. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Several new health care facilities are under construction in Hayden. A two-story building for the future Hayden Surgery Center is now in progress, and Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine is building a new location in Hayden as well. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings

  • Medical Massage, Coeur d’Alene
  • Fit Body Boot Camp, Coeur d’Alene
  • Northwest Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine, Athol
  • Quality Stoves and Spas, Post Falls
  • Toys R Us, Coeur d’Alene

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

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Idaho’s small employer establishments continue to grow

Small businesses continue to be the core drivers of employment growth throughout Idaho when considering both new establishments and overall contribution to total employment. However, large entities may have had more success in recruitment during the tight labor market of the past year due to name recognition, overall position growth and movement within the company, along with larger job listing budgets.

The average employer establishment in Idaho had approximately 11-12 workers over the past year, and more than 90% of Idaho’s covered employers have hired fewer than 20 people per year on average over the past four quarters.

Key employment metrics based on employer size for the past 12 months as of third quarter 2022:

  • 92% of Idaho’s employers hired fewer than 20 employees.
  • Fewer than 200 employers in Idaho hired more than 500 employees. These large employers make up less than 1% of total employers who pay unemployment insurance taxes but 27% of total statewide employment.
  • Idaho added nearly 6,000 employer establishments in the year ending Sept. 30, 2022, with 97% of them having fewer than 20 employees and all in the private sector.
  • One-year share of total employment by industry: professional and business services 33%, financial activities 12%, construction 12%, and health care and social assistance 10%.Table: Employer establishments by number of employees as of 3rdQ 2022

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Caldwell job fair March 28 to feature multiple employers and jobs

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 24, 2023
Media Contact: Traci.Petitt@labor.idaho.gov

Employers from several industries will be looking for workers at a hiring event Tuesday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Idaho Department of Labor Caldwell office, 4514 Thomas Jefferson St.

The Idaho Labor’s team hopes to trigger enthusiasm and participation along with celebration for job seekers who find success at the event.

Participating employers include ABM Industries, BlakRoc Site Services, City of Caldwell, Community Council of Idaho, J&S Asphalt Maintenance, O’Neal Construction, Oregon Dept. of Corrections, The Stow Company and T-Mobile.

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Idaho’s February unemployment rate down to 2.6%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 24, 2023
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or John.Panter@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6% in February, edging down from January’s revised rate of 2.7%.

January’s labor force – workers who are employed or unemployed but looking for work – increased by 1,681 people (0.2%) to 958,117.

Idaho’s labor force participation was unchanged between January and February, remaining at 62.6%.

Total employment increased by 2,237 (0.2%) to 932,972 as unemployment decreased by 556 (-2.2%) to 25,145.

Idaho’s nonfarm jobs increased by 1,100 to 845,100 in February. Industry sectors with the greatest over-the-month gains include state government (4.7%), wholesale trade (2.2%), federal government (1.5%), information (1.1%), other services (1.1%), private education services (0.6%), and health care and social services (0.5%). Continue reading →

Apprenticeship Spotlight: Idaho Health Care Association helps women excel

More Idahoans than ever before are using Registered Apprenticeship as a path to advance their job opportunities. For women in the workforce, apprenticeships like those managed by Idaho Health Care Association (IHCA) have proven beneficial in transforming their careers and filling gaps in Idaho’s labor market.

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Irish connections in Idaho

A wee bit of St. Patrick’s Day statistics

Every March 17, Ireland venerates the St. Patrick with a public holiday on the anniversary of his death[1]. While not a public holiday in the U.S., it is a day of celebration for many. It is the occasion to have a little ‘craic’ (news/gossip/entertainment) in homage to the Irish with food and drink that, if not Irish, is perhaps green in color, all while wearing green clothes. In the world of statistics and demographics, it’s a reason for another analysis highlighting the local connection  — or lack thereof — to the Emerald Island.

A total of 31.5 million people in the U.S. (9.5%) claim Irish ancestry[2] and outnumber the current Irish population by six to one. This means that every person in Ireland has six people in the U.S. (on average) eager to tell them they’re Irish, too, and to ask if they knew their sweet ancestor born in the County Kerry, County Mayo, County Limerick or (pick your county of Ireland here).

Map-US Irish population

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Multi-employer job fair set for March 22 in Boise

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 15, 2023
Media Contact: Joe.Goitiandia@labor.idaho.gov

Employers from several industries will be looking for workers at a job fair Wednesday, March 22, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Cole & Ustick branch of the Boise Public Library, 7557 W. Ustick Road.

Participating employers include the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson Merchandisers, Boise State University, City of Boise, Guerdon, Idaho Power, Norco, Transportation Security Administration, Treasure Valley YMCA and many more.

Some open positions include bus drivers, maintenance technicians, administrative assistant, engineer, purchasing agent, auditor, design drafter, HVAC specialist, among others.

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AmeriCorps members celebrated for their contributions

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2023
Media Contact: Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov

AmeriCorps members celebrated for their contributions

To celebrate the annual AmeriCorps Week, Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, is recognizing the valuable contributions of AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors who pledge to “get things done” for the nation.

Gov. Brad Little and Secretary of State and AmeriCorps alum Phil McGrane signed a proclamation designating March 12-16 Idaho AmeriCorps Week, and members were honored for their contributions by local organizations. The weeklong celebration also honors the contributions and support of thousands of local organizations that make these programs possible.

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Idaho’s January unemployment rate down to 2.7%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2023
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or John.Panter@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.7% in January, edging down from the revised 2.8% rate in December.

December 2022’s unemployment rate was revised down from 2.9% due to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual benchmarking process. This realignment of labor market variables is not an indicator of any changes in the state’s economy. (More information about the benchmarking process can be found below.)

January’s labor force – workers who are employed or unemployed but looking for work – increased by 1,593 people (0.2%) to 956,389.

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