Category Archives: Labor Market

Idaho’s agricultural landowners are getting older

The population of those 65 and over continues to increase in the counties of Idaho that contain a large amount of agricultural land. As a result, older Idahoans who own this land are at a crossroads of whether to pass it to a successor or sell it when they can no longer tend to it themselves.

Idaho’s landownership

The seven largest private commercial landowning organizations or individuals in the state account for 6% of the total private land, with an estimated 1.8 million total acres in land usage for farming, ranching or logging [1]. The other 70.4% is public land. Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic activity, July 2025

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

  • Construction is underway on a large new mixed-use project in Post Falls. Named ‘Nonna,’ the project includes a 50,000 square-foot building with four stories, including commercial space on the ground floor and 33 apartment units on the upper three levels. Commercial tenants will include a ground-floor brunch restaurant. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • A new food truck court, called Eats On Spokane Street, is open in Post Falls. The location includes a new open-air building which houses MelFit Healthy Kitchen and Nachos Cantina, with four food trucks including Charcuteria, Angel’s Eats and Treats, Woody’s Smoked Salmon and Taco Works. There are three remaining spaces for additional food trucks. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Continue reading →

Labor economist to explore Idaho’s demographics and population projections in July webinar

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 15, 2025
Media Contact: Samuel.Wokenhauer@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho Department of Labor Economist Sam Wolkenhauer will discuss Idaho’s demographics and new population projections at a webinar Tuesday, July 22.

“Idaho continues to run contrary to the national trend of flatlining population growth and is one of the fastest growing states,” Wolkenhauer said. “There are a lot of variances within Idaho’s population growth, both in terms of which counties are growing and the age structure of the population.”

Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic activity, June 2025

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

Regional news

Kootenai County

  • Coeur d’Alene Ironman was held on Sunday, June 22. The 70.3-mile triathlon, which has become a fixture summer event in Coeur d’Alene, drew more than 1,000 athletes to northern Idaho this year. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • A new retail center in Coeur d’Alene is nearing completion and has begun announcing tenants. A Five Guys restaurant and EyeMart Express will anchor the new Heritage Square on U.S. 95 in northern Coeur d’Alene. The property has additional retail spaces available, with Five Guys set to open in July. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Post Falls City Council approved a construction improvement agreement for a 148-lot subdivision in northern Post Falls. The project, dubbed Crown Reserve, will be located north of the Crown Pointe Subdivision and will require significant infrastructure improvements. No timeline has been published for construction. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Continue reading →

Idaho’s housing market reflects construction trends

The housing market has been a hot topic in recent years as high mortgage rates and rising prices have created affordability challenges across the state. To address these challenges, multi-family housing unit permits have had an increasing share of overall housing permits in Idaho.

Additionally, the labor force side of the equation is growing strong, as construction employment is the second largest growing industry in the state.

Affordability challenges

Rising unaffordability is a nationwide challenge, both rent and house owner’s equivalent of rent have shown increases in almost identical ways. Prices stagnated during 2008-2011 as the housing crisis turned the housing market upside down.

Outside of the housing crisis, housing costs have continued to increase even faster since 2021, as inflation and mortgage rates began to rise. The prices have been shrinking the number of homes on the market and rising costs of inputs (lumber, concrete, steel, etc.) for new homes.

Continue reading →

Labor economists to discuss rural Idaho’s economy at webinar June 17

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 11, 2025
Media Contact: Will.Hoenike@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho Department of Labor Economists Lisa Grigg, Brandon Duong and Sam Wolkenhauer will discuss rural Idaho’s economy at a webinar Tuesday, June 17. The webinar takes place from 11 a.m. to noon MT over Zoom.

“This webinar is a unique opportunity to discuss the economic successes and challenges of rural Idaho,” Wolkenhauer said.

Continue reading →

Idaho’s rural recreational counties lead state for number of employers per resident

Idaho is a large state with significant land area in mountain ranges, forests, wilderness and cropland. Although beautiful and geologically diverse, the state’s rugged landscape results in low overall population density compared to many U.S. states.

Averaging 24 residents per square mile, the Gem State has a population density that is nearly one-fourth that of the U.S. (96 people per square mile) and holds the No. 6 lowest density per square mile compared to all other states (between No. 5 being New Mexico with 18 people per square mile and No. 7 being Nebraska with 26 people per square mile).

The population density of Idaho’s nine urban counties (Ada, Bannock, Bonneville, Canyon, Kootenai, Latah, Madison, Nez Perce and Twin Falls) combined, averages 143 residents per square mile. The remaining 35 rural counties average significantly lower population density with eight residents per square mile.

Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic activity, May 2025

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

  • North Idaho College’s (NIC) trustees voted unanimously to bring forward a $58.9 million budget for fiscal year 2026 which includes the college’s first tuition increase since 2019. The budget proposal includes a tuition increase of $5.50 per credit for in-district students and $6 per credit for all other students. The budget proposal would shrink NIC’s budget deficit from $5.2 million in fiscal year 2025 to $1.2 million in the upcoming fiscal year. Even with the proposed tuition increase, NIC’s tuition rates would remain tied with the College of Southern Idaho, which is the lowest in the state. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • School levies in Post Falls and Lakeland School District passed with 62% and 66% support, respectively. Post Falls passed a $5.9 million per year supplemental levy which will support extracurriculars, school safety measures, staff salaries andother items. Lakeland passed a $7.5 million per year supplemental levy. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Post Falls City Council approved a $11.7 million project to design and build a new public works operations center. The new facility will eventually house the city’s streets, water operations and utility divisions. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

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 →