Category Archives: Businesses

Webinar spotlights two decades of economic change in rural Idaho

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Nov. 12, 2025
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

The Idaho Department of Labor is hosting a webinar focusing on the past 20 years of growth in rural Idaho, Tuesday, Nov. 18.

“Idaho’s population has grown three times as fast as the U.S. This webinar will bring together rural voices and community leaders to speak in detail about their experiences as rural residents,” Labor Market Research Manager Craig Shaul said.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. MT.

Continue reading →

Labor law posters available online for Idaho businesses

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 28, 2025
Media Contact: Will.Hoenike@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho businesses are again being solicited by private companies to pay for required labor law posters that the Idaho Department of Labor provides online for free.

Employers are required to place the legally mandated posters on safety, wages and discrimination in the workplace where they can easily be seen by employees.

Continue reading →

Idaho sees growth in startup jobs and new business applications in 2024

A positive byproduct of “startups” — defined as new private establishments open for less than a year — are the jobs they create. While Idaho’s startups account for a smaller share of private jobs now than in the 1990s, the state’s total employment has benefitted from them, growing from around 15,000 jobs in 1994 to over 27,000 jobs in 2024 — a 79.6% overall increase, or 2.2% annually.

Idaho finds itself in a healthy state of net job growth from startups, especially over the past 14 years when the greatest growth occurred. Figure 1 below plots the employment of startups in Idaho and the U.S. from 1994-2024. Despite a slight employment decrease in 2023, Idaho job growth from startups was again on the rise in 2024. Nationally, however, net job growth from startups dropped 14.6% from 1994-2024, a 1.4% decline per year. Continue reading →

Learn about Idaho’s startup business activity at a webinar, May 28

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2025
Media Contact: Ryan.Whitesides@labor.idaho.gov

New business startups (private establishments that have been open less than a year) have grown at a rapid rate during 2024, creating over 27,000 jobs in Idaho. The state’s employment rate from business startups is currently greater in Idaho than nationally.

Idaho Department of Labor Economist Ryan Whitesides will analyze this data at a webinar, Wednesday, May 28, from 11 a.m. to noon.

Continue reading →

Idaho’s smallest businesses fuel post-pandemic employer growth

A man working at a bicycle shop

Over the past few years, Idaho has reported one of the highest growth rates for both population and employment. The state has also seen high levels of business startups, driven by a historically large increase in small employer establishments, those with fewer than five employees on payroll.

Idaho employer establishments with fewer than five employees accounted for 73% of all employment establishments in 2023 and comprised 86% of total employer establishment growth over the past five-year period from 2018-2023. These small employers had both the fastest establishment growth rate statewide of all firm sizes and also increased their contribution of statewide covered employment from 8% in 2018 to 10% in 2023.

Continue reading →

Idaho retail industry navigates fast-approaching holiday season

With the holiday season approaching, many Idahoans wonder what recent trends in retail might impact spending and employment this year. Historically, retail has been an enormous revenue source for the U.S. economy.

In 2023, retail sales made up 5.9% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) [5]. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts holiday retail sales for the U.S. will increase between 2.5% and 3.5% or about $979 to $989 billion. The importance of holiday purchases for Idaho, cannot be understated as retail accounted for 8% of its gross regional product at $9 billion according to Lightcast data.

For Idaho and the U.S., there is a close relationship between inflation and sales, both of which have slowed down. Notably, recent trends indicate a slowdown in employment within the retail sector. A detailed examination of sales reveals these interconnections.

Continue reading →

Idaho Department of Labor survey seeks responses from businesses

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 23, 2024
Media Contact: Seth.Harrington@labor.idaho.gov or Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

The department is seeking responses for its second annual Idaho Business Climate Survey. The survey launches the week of Aug. 28. Businesses selected to participate will have two weeks to respond.

“The survey allows the department to provide real-time data on the current state of businesses in Idaho,” Labor Economist Seth Harrington said. “Businesses also share their voice on the benefits and challenges of doing business in the state.”

Continue reading →

Webinar will teach businesses about unemployment insurance benefits, Aug. 28

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 21, 2024
Media Contact: Clinton.Renn@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho businesses and employers are invited to learn about unemployment insurance (UI) benefits from the Idaho Department of Labor during a free Zoom webinar Wednesday, Aug. 28 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. MDT.

The webinar featuring UI Support Analysts Louie Downey and Justin Pinter, will cover the claim filing process, what happens when a claimant quits or is fired and how to protect an account from charges.

Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic activity, June 2024

Map of IdahoInformation provided in these news updates is collected up until the end of June 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

Region

  • Family Promise of North Idaho was awarded a $15,000 grant from Clayton and Family Promise National to help families facing homelessness stay in their homes and work toward stability. Source: the Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Innovia Foundation awarded $330,000 to 34 northern Idaho organizations to assist with local opportunities for education and youth development, health, well-being and arts and culture. Benewah County received three awards, Bonner received 12, Boundary received three, Kootenai received 12 and Shoshone received four. Source: Innovia Foundation

Continue reading →

Idaho’s agricultural evolution: Insights from the U.S. Census

*The charts in this article, except for the H2A chart, are sourced by the U.S. Census of Agriculture*

Idaho’s agricultural roots run deep, with certain regions of the state maintaining this traditional economic base within the broader sector of agri-business.

According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture’s 2022 data, Idaho lost 2,119 farms and 144,000 acres of farmland between 2017 and 2022. While this sounds alarming, it’s important to understand Idaho’s industries usually follow national trends.

For example, it is important to note Idaho’s neighbors and the nation all followed the same downward trend of reductions in farms with a higher number of contiguous states losing ground by a greater ratio, as shown in Figure 1. The argument can be made that production is not dropping, rather agriculture is following the route of manufacturing and producing more with less.

Continue reading →