Category Archives: Employers

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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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How rising temperatures impact Idaho workers

In July, Idaho endured multiple days of excessive heat watch warnings as relentless triple-digit temperatures baked parts of the state. While the sun invites beaches and summer fun, working outside in the heat can pose health and safety risks.

Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. according to the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2023, 207 deaths in the U.S. were attributed to heat-related causes — over two times the rate of people killed by rip currents, the second-most prevalent category as reported by Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics. Since heat does not require the presence of any particular geographic feature, it affects larger populations. According to Weather.gov’s Hazard Heat Report, none of the heat-related fatalities that occurred in 2023 were in Idaho; deaths mostly took place in the sun belt states like Arizona (100 deaths) and Nevada (33 deaths).

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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

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Returning to the workforce: Apprenticeships help pave the way

The Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) “envisions a safer Idaho with fewer people in the correctional system” according to its mission statement.

To help incarcerated people find work, the agency is hosting job fairs for prison residents who will be released in the next six months. The first job fair will take place in July, with more planned for the near future.

Through her work as Apprenticeship Program Coordinator for IDOC, Crystal Robles, sees how incarcerated people want to improve their lives. As a way to encourage this behavior, she decided to coordinate with prison staff to host job fairs.

“I see a lot of people that came into the prison at a very young age. These are individuals that were 19 or 20 and made a bad choice,” Robles said. “Now after 10 or 20 years of being incarcerated, they are being released as a different person with training and education.”

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SIDES E-Response saves employers time

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2024
Media Contact: Tyler.Smith@labor.idaho.gov

SIDES E-Response is a free, quick, accurate and secure way for employers to respond to unemployment insurance (UI) claim notices for laid-off or separated employees who file for unemployment benefits. The Idaho Department of Labor is encouraging Idaho employers to sign up.

When employers use SIDES (State Information Data Exchange System) to respond to information about a claim for unemployment insurance benefits filed by an employee, they play an important role in preventing and detect fraudulent claims according to SIDES Administrator Tyler Smith.

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Around Idaho: Economic activity, March 2024

Information provided in these news updates is collected up until the end of March 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 and Kootenai counties

Figure 1.

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Around Idaho: Economic activity, February 2024

Information provided in these news updates is collected up until the end of February 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
Eastern Idaho

NORTHERN IDAHO – Benewah, Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties

Region

Labor demand in northern Idaho rose last month, with the number of open jobs increasing by nearly 40%. In total, there were 1,799 job postings in January 2024, according to data from the Conference Board, of which 1,474 were posted in Kootenai County. Registered nurses were the most in-demand occupation, followed by retail salespersons.

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