Category Archives: Employment News

Around Idaho: Economic Activity in May 2022

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

Kootenai County

  • The nonprofit urban planning and community development organization, CDA 2030, published a new “Vision and Implementation Plan” for the greater Coeur d’Alene community. The plan outlines 134 actions and recommendations related to housing, park space, conservation and other quality-of-life items for the area. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • North Idaho College received a $524,000 grant from the Idaho Workforce Development Training Fund to support its Workforce Training Center. The grant will fund apprenticeship programs for tradespeople and heavy equipment operators in the construction industry. The goal is to help meet the region’s enormous need for construction labor. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings – Coeur d’Alene

  • Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop
  • CDA Pet Market
  • Stylus Wine & Vinyl Bar
  • Integrity Mental Health
  • CaterCDA
  • Lake City Deluxe Barbershop
  • Brandon Cope Massage
  • Patriot Hangout
  • Sarah Hamilton FACE

Post Falls

  • Auto Paint Plus
  • North Idaho Urology
  • St Joseph’s Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy Clinic

Hayden

  • Open Arms

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

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Idaho’s April Unemployment Rate Falls to Historic Low of 2.6%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: May 20, 2022
Media Contact: Karen.JarboeSingletary@labor.idaho.gov or Salvador.Vazquez@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6% in April, down from March’s rate of 2.7%. April’s rate marks the third consecutive month of historic lows since record keeping began in 1976.

Idaho map with county unemployment ratesThe number of Idahoans employed or looking for work grew by 4,770 people (0.5%) to 937,023. Labor force participation increased by 0.1 percentage points between March and April to 62.1%. Idaho’s peak participation rate reached 71.4% in September 1998.

Total employment grew from March by 5,409 (0.6%) to 912,953 while total unemployment dropped by 639 (-2.6%) to 24,070.

According to Help Wanted Online, there were 49,443 online job postings in Idaho during April, or 2.1 job openings for every unemployed Idahoan looking for work.

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Idaho population projected to top 2 million by 2031

Recent population projections from the Idaho Department of Labor anticipate Idaho will continue its record of rapid growth, with the total statewide population crossing over 2 million for the first time by 2031.

The 2020 Census revealed the Gem State was the second-fastest growing state in the nation over the decade from 2010 to 2020, and single-year population estimates have ranked Idaho as the fastest-growing state for the past five years.

Idaho’s Labor Department’s latest projections anticipate a statewide growth rate of 1.1% per year over the 10-year period from 2021 to 2031, adding a total of 227,880 new residents to the state. This will raise Idaho’s population from 1,888,533 in 2021 to 2,116,413 in 2031.

All six of Idaho’s substate regions are expected to grow over the coming decade, with southwestern Idaho leading at 16.3% projected growth, followed by northern Idaho at 13%. These two regions together are expected to account for more than three quarters of the state’s total growth.

TABLE 1: Projected population growth by region

Projected Population Growth by Idaho Region

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Vacancy rates provide insight to hiring challenges

The exceptionally tight labor market in Idaho has left many employers hard-pressed to fill job openings. The monthly vacancy yield rate – the number of hires each month relative to the number of job openings at the end of the previous month – provides a barometer for employers’ ability to fill openings while its inverse provides an implied number of months to fill an opening.

An unprecedentedly tight labor market

Well before the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic disruptions it brought, the Idaho labor market would have been characterized as “tight,” but once businesses and the economy at-large reopened, the excess demand for workers relative to their supply only intensified.

One key barometer of a labor market is the ratio of job openings, or vacancies, to the unemployed, which is how macroeconomists typically define a labor market’s “tightness.” The larger the number, the more job openings are chasing after a fixed number of idle workers. For high ratios, we would typically expect to see wages rise as employers are forced to compete for limited talent; conversely, for small ratios, we would expect wages to fall as workers are forced to compete for a limited number of jobs.

Figure 1 plots the monthly job openings-to-unemployed ratio for Idaho as well as the United States for 2001-2021, adjusted for seasonality effects. For the entire sample, the average labor market tightness was about 0.81 openings for every unemployed Idahoan. Throughout 2021 the ratio hovered between 1.5 and 2, and by year’s end it reached a record 2.18.

Figure: labor market tightness

Note: Job openings are for total nonfarm jobs.
Source: Idaho Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity in April 2022

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

Kootenai County

  • A new program designed to match senior homeowners with extra space with tenants is being launched in Kootenai County in response to the severe local housing shortage. The project, called HomeShare Kootenai County, aims to create additional rental inventory by leveraging seniors who have extra space or who maintain multiple residences and vacate their Idaho homes in the winter. Source: Journal of Business
  • The Idaho Department of Transportation is beginning work on the next phase of improvements to State Route 41, connecting Post Falls and Rathdrum. The highway improvements will facilitate the new commercial and residential development occurring on the prairie in north Post Falls. The state route improvements are scheduled to be completed this year. ITD plans to begin preparations for the replacement of the current interchange between the SR41 and I-90. Source: Journal of Business
  • After tourism recovered in 2021 and the area experienced a resurgent demand for lodging, Kootenai County now has two new hotels planned – one in Coeur d’Alene and one in Post Falls. A TownePlace Suites hotel by Marriott is under construction in Coeur d’Alene, which will include 89 rooms, while in Post Falls plans are in place for a 154-room hotel, though the brand has not yet been specified. Both hotels are expected to be finished this year. Source: Journal of Business

Openings – Coeur d’Alene

  • Reignite Health Northwest
  • Edgy Veggie Salad
  • Inspired Nail Spa
  • F45 Training
  • Rakes Mediation
  • Water World
  • Dixie & Co.
  • The Goat Lounge
  • Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Hayden

  • Hayden Furniture Depot

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

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New Census Data Shows Growth Across Idaho Counties

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2022
Media Contacts: Sam.Wolkenhauer@labor.idaho.gov or Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov

Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Idaho’s population growth from 2020 to 2021 was well dispersed around the state, with every Idaho county growing in population over the year. 

The Census Bureau reported the state’s population rose from 1,847,772 in 2020, to 1,900,923 in 2021, in its July 1, 2021, population estimates.US Map by county population growth rate

 The newest data release shows how the population growth was distributed around the state. 

While the largest numerical growth was concentrated in urban counties, most of Idaho’s rural counties experienced proportional growth. In all, 38 of Idaho’s 44 counties grew by at least 1%, and every county grew faster than the national average growth rate, except for the Clark County, which is Idaho’s least populous county. Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic Activity in March 2022

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

Kootenai County

  • Work is nearly complete on a new water tower in Hayden, which will store 2 million gallons of water. This will increase the city’s water pumping capacity 26 times over, not only meeting higher demand from the area’s rapid population growth, but also meeting the next 20 years of projected water demand growth. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Work is underway on a mixed-use development located on the former Idaho Veneer mill site in Post Falls. The new development will include more than 120 residential units in a mix of multifamily and townhomes, as well as a dual brand hotel. Source: Journal of Business

Openings
Coeur d’Alene

  • Anchored Coffee
  • Align Yoga Studio
  • Lakeside Integrative Headache Center
  • Runway Salon
  • CenterWell Home Health
  • Memory Lane Gems
  • Manna
  • Lakeside Lox
  • European Wax Center
  • Local Market at Atlas
  • Heirloom Bridal

Region

  • Metro Express Car Wash, Post Falls
  • Post Falls RV Campground, Post Falls
  • Heart of Hope Health, Hayden
  • Dollar General, Athol
  • Ultimate Concrete Coatings, Rathdrum

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

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Idaho is 6th youngest state in the nation, Census data shows

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 22, 2022
Media Contact: Jan.Roeser@labor.idaho.gov or Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho remains one of the youngest states in the nation according to recently released results from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016-2020 American Community Survey.

The release includes new tables on the civilian-employed population (age 16 and older), along with data on computer and internet use.

Some of the statistically significant changes for Idaho include:

 

Age

Idaho remained the sixth youngest state in the nation with a median age of 36.6 years. Utah retained its rank as the youngest with a median age of 31.1 years. Except for North Dakota, all 50 states and the District of Columbia experienced an increase in the median age. The nation’s median age was 38.2 years and is up slightly from its 37.6 years median age in 2015.

Census Table - Median Age

The states with the oldest or highest median age were concentrated on the eastern side of the U.S. starting with Maine (44.8 years), New Hampshire (43 years), Vermont (42.8 years), West Virginia (42.7 years), Florida (42.2 years), Connecticut (41.1 years), Delaware (41 years) and Pennsylvania (40.9 years).

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Explainer on the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and Taxes

Episode 3 – Trust Fund and Taxes:

For the third installment on Idaho’s unemployment insurance (UI) program, we explain the UI Trust Fund and its influence on the taxes employers pay.

The Trust Fund:

The UI Trust Fund is the center of the UI program.

The most basic function of the UI Trust Fund is as the pool where UI taxes Idaho employers pay are deposited and from which benefits paid to claimants are withdrawn. The diagram of figure 1 compares it with a holding tank shaped like Idaho. As the amount of funds in the tank goes up or down, it determines the tax rates on employers.

Trust Fund Graphics

All 50 states, Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands have a UI Trust Fund. The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) requires the UI trust funds be kept with the Unemployment Trust Fund at the U.S. Treasury, and the funds can only be used to pay unemployment benefits.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity in February 2022

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

Kootenai County

  • The Regional Housing and Growth Issues Partnership completed a multi-month study on housing shortages in northern Idaho and is preparing to present its recommendations for local housing policy. The study, recently published on the organization’s website, concluded that a lack of affordable housing cost over $220 million in gross regional product by reducing the available workforce. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

 Openings – Coeur d’Alene

  • Sportsman and Ski Haus
  • Garnet Café
  • Good N Baked
  • Lyfe Coffee
  • Schmidty’s Burgers
  • Aunt Stephanie’s Child Care
  • Soda Love

Openings – Hayden

  • Dairy Queen
  • Lone Mountain Farms & Brewery Taphouse


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

Continue reading →