NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Nov. 16, 2018
Information Contact: Craig Shaul (208) 332-3570 ext. 3201 or Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed at 2.7 percent in October, unchanged from September and continuing at or below 3 percent for the 14th consecutive month.
The state’s labor force – the total number of people 16 years of age and older working or looking for work – was essentially unchanged since July at 853,444.
Idaho’s economy has been one of the most dynamic among all the states in recent years. Over the past five years, Idaho has consistently been at the top of the charts in terms of job creation, and only Utah has created jobs as quickly. Recently, the Idaho Department of Labor completed a new round of labor market projections which anticipate that Idaho’s strong rate of job creation will continue into the foreseeable future.
This new analysis forecasts that Idaho’s total employment will reach 840,000 by 2026, up from a 2016 total of about 735,000. This amounts to approximately 105,000 new jobs created in 10 years, which represents a 14.4 percent increase. This indicates that Idaho is expected to substantially outpace the rest of the nation in job creation. Equivalent projections from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected total U.S. employment to grow by only 7.7 period in the same time period (1). Continue reading
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Oct. 2, 2018
Information Contact: Darren Rux (208) 332-3575, ext. 3074
If you or someone you know is interested in a residential construction career, the Idaho Department of Labor has several carpentry apprenticeship opportunities available in the Treasure Valley.
These entry-level positions are full time with wages ranging from $11.68 to $14.09 an hour.
Apprentices will learn how to use the tools of the trade, work site safety, building, rough framing, outside finishing, inside framing and an array of other construction related skills.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Oct. 1, 2018
Information Contact: Stacey Hanlon (208) 457-8789 ext. 3947
One of northern Idaho’s largest hiring events is planned for Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Real Life Ministries, 1866 N. Cecil Road in Post Falls.
More than 55 employers with at least 1,500 jobs combined are attending the event, which is expected to draw several hundred job seekers. Some jobs are available for immediate hire.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Sept. 21, 2018
Information Contact: Robert Kabel (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886 or Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215
Over-the-Year Job Growth Remains Strong
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined slightly to 2.8 percent in August, continuing at or below 3 percent for the 12th consecutive month.
The state’s labor force – the total number of people 16 years of age and older working or looking for work – was virtually unchanged at 852,878 people, breaking a streak of month-to-month increases.
Total employment increased by 676 to 828,864, continuing to grow though at a slower rate than earlier in the year. The number of unemployed decreased by 588 people to 24,603.
The labor force receives an infusion of workers each May after high school graduation. In south central Idaho, early estimates show nearly 2,500 students graduated this spring from public schools in the eight-county area. The final numbers will be released later this year to account for students still completing courses over the summer and those who still plan to graduate by the end of the year.
Finding data on where the graduates end up after the ceremony is more difficult to track. The ‘go on’ rate, or the percentage of high school graduates who continue on to college or community college for degrees or certificates, is an imperfect estimate. Idaho’s rate has hovered around 50 percent, up or down five percent, in recent years. A sizeable portion of the 50 percent who do not ‘go on’ need employment, roughly 1,250 regionally, based on the 2018 graduation rate estimates.
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 20, 2018
Information Contact: Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215 or Robert Kabel (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886
— Sixth Month in Top Two Over-the-Year Job Growth in the Nation —
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent in June, continuing at or below 3 percent for the 10th consecutive month.
The state’s labor force – the total number of people 16 years of age and older working or looking for work – continued to increase, gaining 971 people from May to June for a total of 851,599.
Total employment increased by 1,032 to 827,084, keeping pace with the state’s labor force growth, while the number of unemployed remained virtually unchanged at 24,515. Continue reading
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: July 18, 2018
Information Contact: Paul Withers, (208) 557-2500
ext. 3559
The Idaho Department of Labor is hosting a multi-employer hiring Wednesday, July 25, from 4 – 6 p.m., at its Idaho Falls office, 1515 E. Lincoln Road. Continue reading
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: June 7, 2018
Information Contact: Darla Wohlschlegel, (208) 557-2500 ext. 3552
Bonneville School District 93, in partnership with the Idaho Department of Labor, has scheduled a hiring event Tuesday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the district office, 3497 N. Ammon Road in Idaho Falls.
The district is hiring for several positions, including bus drivers, bus attendants, kitchen workers, custodians and paraprofessionals. More detailed information about open positions and online applications can be found at the Bonneville School District website, www.d93jobs.com. Continue reading
As with the rest of the nation, accurately estimating the size of the gig economy in Idaho remains a challenge. While measures such as part-time employment and self-employment show unimpressive growth trends, other indicators like the growth of staffing agencies and nonemployer establishments tell a different and perhaps more believable story – the gig economy in Idaho is alive and growing.
What is a gig?
The word “gig” spontaneously invokes images of bar bands, freelance writers, Uber drivers and TaskRabbit workers. A common thread with these workers is that work is on-demand and oftentimes uncertain. The formal definition of a gig, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is “a single project or task for which a worker is hired, often through a digital marketplace, to work on demand.”
Not only can gigs vary in frequency, duration and skill level, the gig worker can have many faces as well. One gig worker could be self-employed with one or multiple gigs forming the bulk of his/her income; another could be a part-time worker using gigs to supplement traditional employment. These variances are part of the difficulties faced in estimating the size of the gig economy and workforce.
Proxy datasets used to represent the gig economy capitalize on some of the typical elements of gig work namely that gig workers are often part-time, contingent workers and are self-employed. These datasets are imperfect indicators that offer only a glimpse of this gig economy. The following are some of these indicators.