Monthly Archives: April 2025

Around Idaho: Economic activity, April 2025

Map of IdahoInformation provided in these news updates is collected up until the end of April and includes professional sources, news releases, weekly and daily newspapers, television and other media.

Northern Idaho
North central Idaho
Southwestern Idaho
South central Idaho
Southeastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho

NORTHERN IDAHO

Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties

Regional news

Kootenai County

  • Hagadone Hospitality broke ground on the new Sherman Tower, which will be a 15-story expansion of the Coeur d’Alene Resort. The tower will feature 139 guest rooms in addition to nearly 10,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space. The opening is scheduled for the spring of 2027. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Two new hotels are under construction in Kootenai County. In Coeur d’Alene, a Marriott-branded AC Hotel is now under construction, which will have 126 guest rooms and open in 2027. Work was previously underway on a 151-room Hyatt Place Hotel in Post Falls, which will open in December. Source: Journal of Business
  • The developers of the new Thomas George luxury high-rise condominium tower in Coeur d’Alene announced that construction is scheduled for completion this year, with residents moving in by years’ end. The top floors of the 80-unit, 18 story tower have been poured. Source: Journal of Business

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Rising cost of child care affects Idaho’s labor market

Child care is a question thousands of parents across Idaho must answer. Prices for child care have increased since 2020 and instability in the child care sector has resulted in thousands of Idahoans going part time or leaving the workforce to fill the gap.

While not the sole contributing factor, the cost of child care remains a major barrier for a significant portion of Idaho’s potential labor force.

Idaho is still experiencing historic labor market tightness despite recent softening. From January to December 2024, the unemployment rate in Idaho increased from 3.3% to 3.8% while the U.S. rate increased from 3.7% to 4.1%. Continue reading →

Apprenticeship program gives Idahoans skills to pursue new careers

Registered Apprenticeship is a pathway into the workforce where participants can “earn while they learn” and gain a recognized certification in an industry of their choice. This method of transitioning into the workforce has gained popularity and employers are now investing time into the Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program. This program makes it easier for interested Idahoans to gain knowledge and experience before committing to enroll in a Registered Apprenticeship program. Below are a few employers featured who have invested time in the creation of a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program.

Idaho Rural Water Association (IDRWA)

In December of 2023, IDRWA led the way as the first Quality Pre-Apprenticeship program in Idaho, with the goal to fill jobs in the wastewater treatment industry.

“For the drinking water and wastewater industry — the industry isn’t very attractive on its own. We are already butting against that stereotype. It’s not very well known, and I don’t think young people are aware of it as a career path,” IDRWA Apprenticeship Coordinator Gary Sievers said. “We believe water use is the future, and we wanted to use this program to reach out to young people.”

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Connect with employers at hiring event in Idaho Falls

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 23, 2025
Media Contact: Will.Hoenike@labor.idaho.gov

Editor’s Note: Idaho National Laboratory will not be attending this hiring event.

A hiring event will be held Wednesday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Idaho Department of Labor office in Idaho Falls, 1515 E. Lincoln Road.

Employers planning to attend include American Fabrication, Idaho National Laboratory, RG Transportation, Synergy Electric, Frontier Credit Union, Teton Stage Lines, KeyBank, Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel and many more.

A variety of open positions are available to job seekers including welder fabricators, electrical apprentices, machinists, hotel executive administrative assistants, tire managers, geoscientists, research design engineers, concrete finishers and others.

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Idaho’s March unemployment rate remains at 3.7%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2025
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Will.Hoenike@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged between February and March, remaining at 3.7%.

March’s labor force decreased by 667 (-0.1%) people to 1,011,659 while the labor force participation rate – the percentage of people 16 years of age or older who are either employed or looking for work – decreased by 0.1 percentage point between February and March, down to 63.7%.

Total employment decreased by 339 to 974,031 as unemployment decreased by 328 (-0.9%) to 37,628.

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Over 50 employers seek job candidates at hiring event

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2025
Media Contact: Will.Hoenike@labor.idaho.gov

Correction: The city was left out of the original news release. See correction below.

A hiring event will be held Wednesday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Real Life Ministries, 1860 N. Cecil Road in Post Falls.

Employers planning to attend include Black Rock Idaho, Buck Knives, Coeur d’Alene Resort and Hotel, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Kootenai County, Local Laborers 238, Paul Mitchell The School, Post Falls School District, PotlatchDeltic, Sherwin Williams, USPS and many more.

A variety of open positions are available to job seekers including knifemakers, teachers, cooks, camp counselors, registered nurses, lumber mill workers, apprentices, tellers, caregivers and others.

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Learn about how the cost of child care affects Idaho’s labor force, April 8

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2025
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

Twelve percent of working parents reported using daycare as a means for child care support in Idaho, compared to 55% of parents having no support or 26% of parents having child care support from relatives.

Idaho Department of Labor Economist Brandon Duong will delve into this topic and provide context into how the cost of child care impacts the state’s labor force at a webinar, Tuesday, April 8.

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Construction industry has highest percentage growth in Idaho

Idaho’s construction industry is one of the top industries, besides health care and social assistance, with the highest percentage growth in Idaho. The industry has grown over 60% from 2004 to 2024, driven by accelerated population gains and economic development from the past few decades.

Employment

Construction employment declined by 44% (or 22,887 people) during 2007-2011 as a consequence from the Great Recession’s impact on the economy. As the economy continued to recover after the Great Recession, so did construction employment with consistent growth over the past decade. Construction employment passed its previous 2007 peak in 2020 and has continued to experience growth with the current average employment in 2024 consisting of 66,389 private construction workers in Idaho.

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Boise hiring event to feature jobs for all experience levels

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 2, 2025
Media Contact: Will.Hoenike@labor.idaho.gov

A hiring event will be held Wednesday, April 9, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the State of Idaho Chinden Campus, 11351 W. Chinden Blvd. Job seekers are expected to arrive at Building 6 in the conference room.

Employers planning to attend include Ada County Highway District, Bogus Basin, Boise School District, Boise State University, Dabella, Express Employment Professionals, Franklin Sensors, Idaho Bankers Association, Personnel Plus, Torch Fire Security and many more.

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