Around Idaho: Economic Activity in January 2019

Information provided in this article 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

  • Thomas Tedder, founder and CEO of Post Falls holster manufacturer Tedder Industries, has sold a majority share in the manufacturer to a Texas-based investment group. Tedder said he would phase out of the CEO role over the following months and focus on his real estate concerns at his other company, Tedder Properties. Source: Spokane-Kootenai Journal of Business
  • Two new urban renewal districts have been proposed in the city of Rathdrum. Amid record growth, Rathdrum’s urban renewal agency has conducted eligibility studies to create two new renewal districts aimed at improving a total of 155 acres worth of lots. Currently, construction on the lots in question is blocked by gas and power lines that create “hurdles” to development, which would be remediated by the proposed renewal projects. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Kootenai County’s commissioners are preparing to revisit the controversial new building permit opt-out provisions. The provision, adopted last year, allows builders on unincorporated lots in Kootenai County to opt out of county building codes. The new board of commissioners – two of the three commissioners are newly elected – plans to revisit the opt-out provision, starting with a series of public hearings. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • North Idaho College was awarded a three-year federal grant worth $675,607. It will use the funds to launch a new NIC Venture Center, which will support the college’s entrepreneurial programs. The Venture Center will feature new educational programming for entrepreneurship, as well as a rapid prototype lab for manufacturing. In 2017, NIC was named Entrepreneurial College of the Year by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings in Coeur d’Alene

  • Terre Coffee and Bakery
  • Great Expectations Painting
  • Schwartz Law

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

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Registration Open for Serve Idaho’s Annual Volunteerism Conference

News Release

For Immediate Release: Jan. 28, 2019
Information Contact: Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061

Registration is open for the 2019 Serve Idaho Conference, “Giving Back Unites.” The conference takes place March 27, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the Jordan Ballroom at Boise State University Student Union.

 

The conference is designed for nonprofit and volunteer management professionals and AmeriCorps directors and members. Workshops, speakers and networking sessions are also ideal for anyone who wants to collaborate and build resilient communities through volunteerism and service.

Idahoans Luke Michelson and Stephanie Taylor-Silva are featured keynote speakers.

Luke Michelson

Stephanie Taylor-Silva

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Idaho Population’s Growth Rate Tied for Fastest in Nation

Idaho’s population totaled 1.75 million as of July 2018, growing at a rate of 2.1 percent from July 2017 and tying with Nevada for the fastest growth rate in the nation.

Utah with 1.9 percent was third. Wyoming declined by 1 percent to 579,300 – one of five states to see a decline during this time.

The national average growth rate was 0.6 percent.

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Engineering Careers Among Best Paid Occupations

Interested in a career building the infrastructure or machines that are the backbone of modern technology? Or working to expand that frontier? If engineering is the career path for you, it is among the best paid occupations in the nation and Idaho compared with other occupations.

Depending on the specialization, in Idaho engineers earn a median from $32 to $57 per hour. As a group, it is among the fastest growing occupations in Idaho. The field is projected to grow by almost 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, adding 1,100 jobs with another 7,400 potential job opportunities as engineers retire or leave the occupation.

Read more about engineering on the BLS website.

Learn about other career options in JobScape.

Idaho Department of Labor

Idaho’s December Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 2.6 Percent

News Release

For Immediate Release: Jan. 18, 2019
Information Contact: Craig Shaul (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201 or Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.6 percent in December – the 16th consecutive month the rate has been at or below 3 percent.

The state’s labor force – the total number of people age 16 years or older working or looking for work – increased slightly by two tenths of a percent from November, up 2,013 people to 856,337.

The number of people working increased by 1,823 for a total of 833,756, while the number of unemployed dropped by 190 to 22,581. Continue reading →

Idaho Labor Groups Celebrate Idaho Human Rights / Martin Luther King Jr. Day

News Release

For Immediate Release: Jan. 17, 2019
Information Contact: Carmen Barney, Idaho Human Rights Commission, (208) 334-2873 ext. 3682; Renee Bade, Serve Idaho, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061

Serve Idaho and the Idaho Human Rights Commission are participating in the Idaho Human Rights/Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the Idaho State Capitol on Monday, Jan. 21.

Activities are centered in the Capitol rotunda, 2nd floor, beginning at noon Monday with a performance by Boise State University trumpeters.

Gov. Brad Little will read the Idaho Human Rights Day proclamation followed by a keynote speaker and inspiring messages from a diverse array of Idaho citizens. Labor Director Jani Revier will provide closing remarks. The event includes a performance by Mariachi De Mi Tierra, a mariachi composed of local area youth.

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Idaho Volunteers Recognized at Brightest Stars Awards Ceremony

News Release

For Immediate Release: Jan. 17, 2019
Information Contact: Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061

Sixty-nine outstanding volunteers from throughout the state were honored at Idaho’s Brightest Stars Ceremony Wednesday in Boise. The annual event is organized by Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.

“Volunteerism is a gift that benefits citizens and addresses needs in communities throughout our state,” said Gov. Brad Little. “These men and women are not seeking recognition, but it is important to acknowledge these Brightest Star recipients and their generous commitment to giving to others and ensuring a bright future for all citizens.”

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity in December 2018

Information provided in this article 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

Bonner County

  • The YMCA of the Inland Northwest acquired Sandpoint West Athletic Club, with the intent of turning the health club into a new YMCA branch. Source: Spokane Journal of Business

Kootenai County

  • The city of Coeur d’Alene moved forward with a proposal to create an urban renewal district around the Kootenai Health hospital campus. The city council expressed concern about the cramped hospital corridor and noted that without efforts to consolidate properties around Kootenai Health and creating space to allow the hospital to grow, the hospital could be forced to move. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Idaho Transportation Department will fund a one-year study on traffic management in Kootenai County, which will examine the viability of a regional traffic management center. The Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization will manage the study. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special use permit for the construction of a UPS distribution facility next to single-family homes in east Post Falls. The commission approved the permit after neighbors voiced their concerns about the potential noise and traffic that the distribution center would generate. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings

  • Terre Coffee and Bakery in Coeur d’Alene

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

Continue reading →

Serve Idaho Commission Announces New Leadership

News Release

For Immediate Release: Jan. 8, 2019
Information Contact: Renee Bade, (208) 332-3578 ext. 4061

Colleen Schowalter

Colleen Schowalter

Colleen Schowalter of Boise and Kimber Russell of Meridian, were elected to serve as the 2019 chair and vice chair of Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.

Chair Colleen Schowalter is the volunteer services coordinator and studio manager for the Idaho Commission for Libraries. She previously served for two years as an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) and VISTA leader with the Idaho National Guard Family Programs and the Idaho Foodbank. She serves as the public affairs officer for the Boise Veterans Parade committee.

Kimber Russell

Vice Chair Kimber Russell is a business coach and the director of content development for Gritt Business Coaching. She also owns a small business that supports Treasure Valley small businesses. She previously worked as the merchandising and marketing manager for Stinker Stores and is finishing her doctorate of Business Administration from Walden University this year. She is active in supporting the Super Sam Foundation and the Idaho Foodbank.

“Both Ms. Schowalter and Ms. Russell bring an enthusiasm for service that is second to none,” said Program Manager Renee Bade. “We are extremely fortunate to have both of them serve as leaders of the commission this year.”

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Serve Idaho, a division of the Idaho Department of Labor, encourages voluntary public service and volunteerism throughout the state. The Serve Idaho Commission is funded in part by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Idaho Department of Labor.

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Demystifying Idaho’s Unemployment Rate

Idaho’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for November 2018, the most recent data available. This is the 15th consecutive month that Idaho’s rate has been at or below the low rate of 3 percent. But what does 3 percent employment mean? Three percent of what?

The answer to what the unemployment rate means and how it’s determined is best understood within the context of the numbers that are also reported with it each month. The unemployment rate is a figure that measures the unemployed segment of the labor force, which is itself a subgroup of the civilian population and one of a few terms that describe different states of people in the population and their relationship with work and the economy.

The major subgroups of the larger civilian population include the labor force, employed and unemployed. The relationship among these various groups provide the basic measures of the participation rate and unemployment rate.

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