Around Idaho: Economic Activity in October 2020

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 Idaho
Eastern Idaho

 

NORTHERN IDAHO – Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai & Shoshone Counties

Bonner County

  • Tamarack Aerospace Group is continuing its rapid expansion and is on track to triple its space in Sandpoint with additional office and hanger facilities. The company, which successfully completed a restructuring and emerged from bankruptcy filings, is aiming to leverage the new space for intensified research and development. Source: Journal of Business

Kootenai County

  • Lakeside Capital Group LLC is planning a large new residential development on more than 1,000 acres of land, located between Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene. The land, acquired by the developer last year, was recently rezoned from agricultural land to transitional use. The planned new residential community, called Coeur Terre, could potentially include more than 2,000 units in a mixture of single and multi-family developments. Source: Journal of Business
  • Hagadone Hospitality is working on a new mixed-use development in southeastern Coeur d’Alene, which will feature three 200-foot tall towers to include a mixture of hotel rooms, apartments and condominiums. The development is still in the planning stage, has not been assigned an address and does not have a concrete timeline for completion yet. Source: Journal of Business
  • COVID masking mandates in northern Idaho are in flux, with the Panhandle Health District rescinding its mask order and the city of Coeur d’Alene implementing a mask order of its own, which went into effect on Oct. 27. Coeur d’Alene Public Schools are currently facing a significant COVID-19 outbreak, with large numbers of students quarantined. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings – Coeur d’Alene

  • Vicino Pizza
  • 2 Ravens Tattoo Studio
  • Gas and Grain
  • Magpie Home Goods
  • Hank’s Hatchets

Openings – Post Falls

  • Ricardo’s Baja Tacos

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

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Kooskia Veteran Finds Support, Job Opportunities through Idaho Labor

Keith Robeson is not one to give up. One example? The 40-something Kooskia man did not want to leave the Army despite his injuries that have wreaked havoc on his mind and body. Today? He just wants to work, which led to a meeting with Monica Jones, a workforce consultant at the Idaho Department of Labor’s Orofino local office, in February.

“I started out with Voc Rehab (Idaho Department of Vocational Rehabilitation) in Orofino,” Robeson said. Through them, he was able to have a spinal cord stimulator implanted to combat his debilitating chronic back pain.

“I got a lot of my ability back. I was feeling good and able again,” Robeson said. And he was ready to get to work. Voc Rehab referred him to the Idaho Department of Labor. That’s when Jones came into the picture.

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Respuestas a preguntas frecuentes acerca del fraude de identidad del Seguro de Desempleo

Pregunta: Las solicitudes para beneficios de desempleo, ¿están siendo llenadas por personas que se han robado la identidad de alguien?

Respuesta: Sí. Redes criminales a través de todo el globo están explotando la crisis de Covid-19 intentando cometer fraude a gran escala contra varios programas de seguro de desempleo estatales. Estas redes criminales poseen bases de datos sustanciales de información personal identificable robadas, las cuales son usadas para entregar un gran volumen de solicitudes de beneficios seguro de desempleo. Los estafadores usan los nombres y direcciones de residentes de Idaho, pero hacen enviar los fondos a cuentas bancarias en otros estados o hacen que las tarjetas bancarias sean enviadas a direcciones diferentes. El Departamento está trabajando muy de cerca con las agencias policiacas federales y las oficinas del Inspector General del Departamento de Trabajo Federal para abordar este problema.

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Idaho Job Corps to Host Community Night Nov. 4

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 29, 2020
Media Contact: Tina Polishchuk, Tina.Polishchuk@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho youth between ages 16-24 who are looking for skills training and a job are invited to attend a Nov. 4 dinner at the Idaho Centennial Job Corps campus in Nampa and are encouraged to bring someone with them.

“Everyone knows someone who can benefit from the Idaho Job Corps program,” said Courtney Hudnall, student placement supervisor.

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Idaho’s Unemployment Continued Claims Decrease for 25th Consecutive Week

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 29, 2020
Media Contact: Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Salvador Vazquez, Salvador.Vazquez@labor.idaho.gov

The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for unemployment insurance benefits fell for the 25th consecutive week, dropping 2 percent for the week ending Oct. 24 to 8,024. The four-week moving average for continued claims fell by 5 percent – down from 8,910 for the week ending Oct. 17 to 8,442.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 3,862 for the week ending Oct. 24, increasing by 569 claims while the four-week moving average was up by 7 percent to 3,407.

The department paid out $6 million in claims during the week ending Oct. 24, up from $5.8 million for the week ending Oct 17. Regular state benefit payouts were $1.8 million, the same as the previous week, but 2.1 times higher than the same week in 2019. Of the CARES Act programs, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) payments paid out $1.6 million, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) paid out $2.3 million, up from $2.1 million the previous week, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) paid out $.3 million, up $.1 million.

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Unemployment Insurance Identity Fraud Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Are unemployment insurance applications being filed by people who have stolen someone’s identity?

Answer: Yes. Crime rings across the globe are exploiting the COVID-19 crisis by attempting to commit large scale fraud against multiple state unemployment insurance programs. These crime rings possess substantial databases of stolen personally identifiable information which is used to submit a large volume of applications for unemployment benefits. Scammers use the names and addresses of Idaho residents, but then have payments sent to bank accounts in other states or have bank cards mailed to different addresses. The department is working closely with federal law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General to address fraud.

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Manufacturing in Southwestern Idaho Offers Opportunity

Launching a new career, or considering changing a current one, can be daunting and even more so during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. But In spite of the negative effects of the pandemic on many industries, manufacturing  can offers opportunities.

Manufacturing is an evolving industry, especially in southwestern Idaho ranging from semi-conductor chip manufacturing to potato chip manufacturing. The skill levels of the workforce over the past couple of decades have changed dramatically as manufacturing is more automated and less physically demanding in many cases. Markets have changed with more global opportunities for Idaho products.

The highest level of manufacturing among Idaho’s six regions is in southwestern Idaho with more than 30,000 jobs across its 10 counties – 47 percent of all Idaho manufacturing jobs. South central Idaho has the next largest share at just 15 percent. The southwestern region’s 10 counties are diverse and include the state’s largest metropolitan area, Boise, remote small counties with logging traditions and vast counties citing its greatest population density as sagebrush and four-legged beef cattle. The share of manufacturing jobs in southwestern Idaho is higher than the nation’s by 4 percent but ranks fifth in share among Idaho’s six regions — the other five regions have significantly fewer total jobs than southwestern Idaho. The trend is showing some downward movement due to reduced production by large tech employers such as HP and Micron.

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More than 50 Idahoans Receive Awards for Volunteerism and Philanthropy

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 23, 2020
Media Contact: Renee Bade, Renee.Bade@labor.idaho.gov

More than 50 Idahoans will be honored at the Idaho Philanthropy Day award presentations in November at regional celebrations.

“Every year the selection process becomes harder and harder,” said Amy Little, CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center. “Idaho has so many impressive citizens and we cannot wait to give their generosity center stage this fall.”

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Idaho’s Unemployment Continued Claims Decrease for 24th Consecutive Week

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 22, 2020
Media Contact: Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Salvador Vazquez, Salvador.Vazquez@labor.idaho.gov

The number of Idahoans who filed a continued claim for unemployment insurance benefits fell for the 24th consecutive week, dropping 2 percent for the week ending Oct. 17 to 8,215. The four-week moving average for continued claims fell by 7 percent – down from 9,533 for the week ending Oct. 10 to 8,910.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled 3,293 for the week ending Oct. 17, decreasing by 226 claims while the four-week moving average fell by just 1 percent to 3,191.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity in September 2020

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 Idaho
Eastern Idaho

 

NORTHERN IDAHO – Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai & Shoshone Counties

  • Kootenai County
    • Fatbeam LLC – a Coeur d’Alene-based fiber provider – is introducing a new product called Cloudbeam, which will allow its customers to connect securely to cloud services. Cloudbeam will function as Fatbeam’s proprietary alternative to VPN (virtual private network) services. Source: Journal of Business
    • Engel & Volkers, a German-based international luxury real estate brokerage, has opened an office in Coeur d’Alene with plans for a Sandpoint office in 2021. Source: Journal of Business
    • Quest Integration Inc., a Post Falls technology firm providing support for the manufacture and design of 3D printers, has been acquired by Hawk Ridge Systems, a California-based manufacturer of 3D printing systems. Quest will continue to operate under that name during the integration process but will eventually operate under the Hawk Ridge name. Source: Journal of Business

     

Openings – Coeur d’Alene

  • Mangia Wood Fired Pizza
  • Hasani Coffee
  • Bou Cou, dancewear and fitness wear
  • Rokko’s Teriyaki & BBQ
  • Izzy’s Comfort Kitchen
  • Everlong Studio, a photography studio
  • Bjorkman Film & Video
  • Spirit Halloween
  • Roger’s Ice Cream & Burgers

Openings – Post Falls

  • Unlimited Health Chiropractic
  • Teton House

Openings – Hayden

  • Edward Jones Investments

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

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