Category Archives: Labor Market

Around Idaho: Economic activity, October 2026

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

  • Unemployment insurance (UI) weekly claims: The northern region reported an average of 69 weekly initial UI claims and 347 weekly continuing claims in September 2026. Initial claim volume increased 38.1% from the previous month and 6.2% from September 2025. However, continuing claim volume decreased 15.3% from September 2025. Statewide, weekly initial claims increased 1.8% from August 2026 and decreased 10.7% from September 2025. Statewide weekly continuing claims decreased 13.5% from the previous month and 15.1% from September 2025. Source: Idaho Department of Labor
  • The Sandpoint City Council approved agreements advancing the planned reconstruction of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The project includes an estimated $60 million first phase, with total costs potentially reaching $130 million. The city selected Stantec Consulting Services Inc. as the owner’s representative and will begin project planning, engineering coordination, budgeting and procurement activities. Source: Sandpoint Reader
  • A new Post Falls community celebrated the completion of an affordable housing project. The approximately $6.5 million starter‑home development was funded through a public‑private partnership that resulted in the construction of 28 shared‑equity homes on a 4.7‑acre site in Post Falls. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining is expanding its operational reach through the acquisition of approximately 14,100 additional acres in eastern Shoshone County. According to company officials, the combination of expanded land holdings and ongoing redevelopment of the Sunshine Mine positions the company to pursue short‑term production and sustain long‑term exploration activities. Sunshine Silver has identified late 2028 as its target for returning to production. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Construction is underway on a new $9 million, 30,500-square-foot multicourt gymnasium at Christian Center School in Hayden. The facility will feature a double-court configuration, fitness and training areas, locker rooms and a multipurpose commons area. Once completed, the facility will accommodate up to 800 attendees for games, tournaments and community events. Source: Spokane Journal of Business

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Labor economist will present data on self-employment in Idaho at upcoming webinar

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 6, 2026
Media Contact: Knox.Freedman@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho Department of Labor Economist Knox Freedman will be examining self-employment statistics and evaluating trends in the state at a webinar, Tuesday, Oct. 13.

This webinar will also analyze the impacts of self-employment on the broader labor market and economy, as well as its relationship to wages and labor supply.

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Idaho’s job market experiences rising demand, stubborn shortages and changing expectations

Idaho’s labor market has changed significantly over the past 10 years. For many years, Idaho employers were generally better at finding workers than other states. However, more recent job vacancy data, such as the time it takes to fill jobs, turnover rates and job postings, show that expectations have shifted. Employers now find it harder to fill open jobs, while workers have more opportunities.

Job vacancy yield

The past few years have seen some of the tightest labor markets in modern history for both Idaho and the nation, making it difficult for many employers to fill open positions. One of the indicators of how effectively employers are able to fill jobs is the monthly vacancy yield, which measures the number of hires each month compared with the number of job openings remaining from the previous month.

As shown in Figure 1 below, Idaho employers have hired about one person for every job vacancy at many points over the past decade, which is considered strong labor demand. Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic activity, September 2026

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

  • Unemployment insurance (UI) weekly claims: The northern region reported 50 average weekly initial UI claims and 319 average weekly continuing claims during August 2026. Initial claim volume has increased 12.7% from the previous month and decreased 5.3% from August 2025. Statewide, weekly initial claims decreased 13.6% from July 2026 and 29.2% from August 2025. Statewide continuing claims decreased 12.2% from last month and 12.2% from August 2025. Source: Idaho Department of Labor
  • North Idaho College and Lewis‑Clark State College announced a memorandum of understanding establishing a co‑admission and co‑enrollment agreement. The agreement is designed to provide a seamless pathway for students to earn an associate degree at North Idaho College and complete a bachelor’s degree at Lewis‑Clark State College. Students participating in co‑enrollment will have access to resources at both institutions. Source: North Idaho College
  • ATC Manufacturing began construction to expand the Post Falls facility. The project will increase the facility’s size by 57,365 square feet and is expected to double workforce capacity upon completion. The expansion is projected to be finished in summer 2027. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Rehabilitation Hospital of the Northwest completed a series of facility expansions and enhancements. The hospital provides care for individuals recovering from disabilities resulting from injuries, illness or chronic medical conditions. The complete improvements increased the facility’s capacity to 70 private patient rooms. Source: Ernest Health
  • Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has continued expanding its operations in Idaho with the purchase of a large industrial building in Post Falls. This expansion will allow the company to bring two facilities online to help meet demand for its electronic devices. The new manufacturing facility is expected to be fully operational in 2027 and to initially create approximately 250 manufacturing careers. Source: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

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Idaho’s population growth of children has created higher demand for education occupations

With students around Idaho returning to school, thousands of workers in the education sector are also returning to work. This includes not only teachers, but also non-teaching staff, including bus drivers, guidance counselors and administrators. In recent years student enrollment has increased in Idaho public primary schools, driving higher demand for these occupations.

Since 2020, Idaho’s rapid population growth has brought more than 23,000 additional children ages five to 17 into the school environment. This influx has increased demand on Idaho’s kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education system. Total employment in elementary and secondary schools increased by 6.7% during this period to accommodate the growing student population. This new demand has affected employment trends for different occupations in a variety of ways.

School administrators, guidance counselors and bus drivers are three occupations in the K-12 sector which all had employment shifts in different ways due to the increase of students. School administration and guidance counselor occupations experienced elevated employment after 2020, while school bus driver employment decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Idaho’s domestic electricity generation supports high-paying jobs

As technology advances, the demand for energy continues to grow — especially with data centers and semiconductor fabrication facilities continuing to be built across the country. For Idaho, this is no different. Over the past two decades, Idaho has met its growing energy demand by expanding domestic generation and diversifying its power sources, resulting in an increase in high paying job opportunities.

Domestic vs. imported energy

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy equal to 1,000 watts of electricity consumed over the course of one hour. When scaled up by a factor of 1,000, a kWh becomes a megawatt-hour (MWh).

In 2025, the average Idaho household consumed 11.2 MWh of electricity, compared with the national average of 10.5 MWh. Idaho’s above-average consumption can be explained by its cold winters and hot summers increasing demand for both heating and air conditioning. Continue reading →

Labor economist to present webinar about Idaho’s latest long-term employment projections

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Sept. 1, 2026
Media Contact: Seth.Harrington@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho Department of Labor Economist Seth Harrington will be discussing the state’s 10-year employment (2024-2034) and how it is substantially outpacing the nation at a webinar, Tuesday, Sept. 8.

While the U.S’s workforce is projected to grow 3.1% over the next 10 years, Idaho’s is projected to grow over 13%. This webinar will compare and contrast key industries in the state and nation, highlighting current and the future drivers of economic growth for the state.

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Around Idaho: Economic activity, August 2026

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

  • Averill Hospitality has revised its plans for a resort hotel at the current site of the Best Western Edgewater Resort. The company now intends to renovate the existing structure and construct a new five‑story south wing that will include 27 condominiums. The reopened hotel at 56 Bridge St. will feature a lobby bar, coffee venue, retail space, outdoor dining areas, a pool and spa, lawn and terrace space for events and a new restaurant. Source: Sandpoint Reader
  • Hayden-based Viking Construction Inc. has started installing the infrastructure for a 52-acre development in Rathdrum. The development will consist of 164 single-family homes, 192 apartments in eight three-story buildings and several commercial buildings. Source: Spokane Journal of Business
  • The Post Falls City Council approved the construction of 17 cottage homes. In addition to the homes, the developers plan to build extra parking, a recreational space and an outlet road for the new development area. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Idaho Economic Advisory Council recently recommended Shoshone County (Kellogg, Smelterville and Wardner) for consideration under the federal Opportunity Zone designation. Opportunity Zones are federally designated census tracts created to encourage investment in economically distressed communities. Source: Shoshone News-Press

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Idaho’s population younger than national average, metro areas growing quickly

Idaho ranked second in the nation for population growth from 2024-2025, behind only South Carolina, according to recently released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The state’s total population rose by 28,861, or 1.4%, to 2,029,733 people during this time.

Now at the halfway point between the decennial censuses of 2020 and 2030, the 2025 population and age characteristic estimates provide an opportunity to take the pulse of Idaho’s demographic growth over the decade so far.

Since 2020, Idaho has been the fastest growing state on aggregate with a net growth of 9.8%, followed by Florida and South Carolina in second and third place respectively. Continue reading →

Labor economists to present webinar on how Idaho’s hiring demand has evolved

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 4, 2026
Media Contact: Brandon.Duong@labor.idaho.gov or Ryan.Whitesides@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho Department of Labor Economists Brandon Duong and Ryan Whitesides will be discussing Idaho’s hiring landscape from pre‑pandemic years to today at a webinar, Tuesday, Aug. 11.

This webinar breaks down where employers are struggling and where opportunities are opening up.

“Understanding how long jobs sit open and which industries are tightening isn’t just an economic story, but it affects the everyday experience of finding or filling a job,” Whitesides said.

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