Tag Archives: idaho labor force

Idaho’s November unemployment rate up slightly to 3%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Dec. 16, 2022
Media Contact: Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or John.Panter@labor.idaho.gov

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3% in November, edging up from October’s 2.9%.

November’s labor force – which is composed of both employed and unemployed workers — increased by 1,930 people (0.2%) to 963,380. Total employment increased by 1,474 (0.2%) to 934,756. The total number of people unemployed and looking for work increased by 456 (1.6%) to 28,624.

Labor force participation decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 62.5% as the civilian population increased at a faster rate than the labor force.

Idaho’s nonfarm jobs increased by 500 to 827,400 in November. Industry sectors with the greatest over-the-month gains include arts, entertainment and recreation (4.8%); private educational services (1.4%); construction (1.3%); state government (0.9%); and health care and social services (0.7%).

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Idaho’s February Unemployment Rate Down to 3.3%

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 26, 2021
Media Contacts: Craig Shaul, craig.shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Karen Jarboe Singletary, karen.jarboesingletary@labor.idaho.gov

 Year-to-year nonfarm employment growth of 1% leads nation

February’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3%, down slightly from a revised 3.5% in January.

Idaho’s nonfarm payrolls edged upward by 1,200, leveling off after January’s gain of 4,500.

Civilian Labor Force

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted labor force remained virtually unchanged in February at 899,796, down from 900,205 in January.

The total number of working Idahoans increased by 912 in February to 870,056.

The number of unemployed Idahoans dropped 4.5% to 29,740.

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Idaho Rebound Continues as One of Fastest in Country

December’s economic data showed that Idaho continued to progress in what has become one of the fastest economic recoveries in the country, following the economic shock of the COVID pandemic in the spring months of 2020. Idaho’s nonfarm jobs continued their recovery and are now slightly above the breakeven point for the year, with total nonfarm jobs now exceeding the totals reached in December 2019.

Nonfarm Jobs

Idaho’s total nonfarm jobs grew by 4,900 (0.6%) to 773,700 for December 2020. Substantial gains in trade, transportation and utilities (+2,400) as well as leisure and hospitality (+1,800) drove the increases, although most of Idaho’s major sectors enjoyed gains in December.

Job Growth Chart

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Idaho’s September Labor Force Reaches Record High

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Oct. 16, 2020
Media Contact: Craig Shaul, Craig.Shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Karen Jarboe Singletary, karen.jarboesingletary@labor.idaho.gov

Record growth in the state’s seasonally adjusted labor force increased September’s unemployment rate to 6.1 percent, up from 4.2 percent in August. The labor force is up by 22,129 (+2.5 percent) to 918,644. As a result, the number of unemployed increased by 18,806, even as total employment continued to grow by 3,323 (+0.4 percent).

The record gains also pushed the state’s labor force participation rate – the percentage of people 16 years and older with jobs or looking for work – up from 63.7 percent in August to 65.1 percent in September. The last time Idaho’s participation rate was at or above 65.1 percent was in August 2010 – just over 10 years ago.

Total nonfarm jobs dropped by 1,000 (-0.1 percent) to 758,600 for September. A substantial gain of 1,800 jobs in leisure and hospitality (+2.3 percent), combined with modest increases in financial activities, natural resources, and trade, transportation and utilities, were not enough to compensate for job declines in other industries, including a loss of 2,200 jobs in government (-1.7 percent).

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Idaho Unemployment Falls to 5 Percent in July

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 21, 2020
Media Contact: Craig Shaul, craig.shaul@labor.idaho.gov or Karen Jarboe Singletary, karen.jarboesingletary@labor.idaho.gov

Nonfarm Jobs Recover 1.9 Percent

Idaho’s nonfarm payrolls regained 14,000 jobs, and the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 5 percent as the state’s economy continued to reopen.

July’s unemployment rate dropped 0.8 percentage points from a revised rate of 5.8 percent in June and down from April’s historic high of 11.8 percent. Previous peak unemployment rates include 10.2 percent for December 1982 and 9.6 percent for June 2016 – the Great Recession peak.

The number of unemployed Idahoans fell by 6,917 to 44,722 as total employment recovered by 12,843 to 856,251, up 1.5 percent from June.

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Idaho’s October Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 2.9 Percent

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Nov. 15, 2019
Information Contact: Karen Jarboe Singletary (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215 or Darlene Carnopis (208) 332-3570 ext. 3439

— 23 Months at or Under 3 Percent —

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent in October for the fourth consecutive month.

An additional 2,438 people made themselves available for work in October, pushing Idaho’s seasonally adjusted labor force up to 884,545. The number of unemployed increased by 112 to 25,736. Total employment grew by 2,326 to 858,809.

Idaho’s labor force participation rate – the percentage of people age 16 years or older working or looking for work – remained unchanged at 64.1 percent.

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Idaho’s September Unemployment Unchanged at 2.9 Percent

NEWS RELEASE

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

Nonfarm Job Growth Second Highest in the Nation

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.9 percent in September for the third consecutive month.

An additional 2,906 people made themselves available for work in September, pushing Idaho’s seasonally adjusted labor force up to 882,214. The number of unemployed increased by 136 to 25,626. Total employment grew by 2,770 to 856,588.

Idaho’s labor force participation rate – the percentage of people age 16 years or older working or looking for work – has been slowly increasing since June 2019 and reached 64.1 percent in September.

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Idaho’s 2018 Annual Average Unemployment Rate Remains at 2.8 Percent

News Release

For Immediate Release: Feb. 28, 2019
Information Contact: Karen Jarboe Singletary, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3215 or Robert Kabel, (208) 332-3570 ext. 3886

Idaho’s statewide seasonally adjusted annual average unemployment rate remained at 2.8 percent for 2018 according to benchmarked numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

BLS’ annual benchmark process is conducted in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Labor and includes re-estimations based on updated data from the U.S. Census Bureau, BLS and other sources.

Idaho’s annual average total labor force increased by 2.6 percent between 2017 and 2018 to 856,795. Total employment increased by 3.1 percent and the total number of unemployed dropped 9.6 percent from 2017. Continue reading →

Data Mining Tools You Can Use

Idaho Occupational Employment and Wages Survey – 2014

Screen Shot 2015-10-09 at 11.17.46 AMPaying a competitive wage is a critical factor for employee retention. Wages for more than 750 Idaho occupations can now be found on the Labor Market Information website at: http://lmi.idaho.gov/oes. The data is gathered through a survey of Idaho businesses which collects the number of employees by occupation and pay range. Only wage and salary-type compensation data are reported. Fringe benefits, overtime, bonuses, incentive pay and other non-wage earnings are not included.

BEA Prototype Features State GDP Figures by Quarter

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is now releasing state gross domestic product figures by quarter. The new data set is designed to provide a fuller description of the accelerations, decelerations and turning points in the economy at the state level. Released as a prototype, the new data also includes key information about the impact of industry composition differences across the states. Adjusted for inflation, real gross domestic product measures the market value of goods and services produced within the state and is generally considered a measure of economic activity. For more information, visit the news release section of the BEA website.

A National Living Wage Calculator

MIT professor Amy Glasmeier’s “The Living Wage Calculator” shows the hourly rate someone needs to earn in every Idaho county as well as the country. Glasmeier used the data to create a map which shows the difference between the minimum wage and the amount of money necessary to meet a minimum standard of living around the U.S. The darker red areas indicate a large gap; the orange areas are a smaller gap.

Estimates for the living wage – defined as the amount needed to cover food, child care, insurance, health care, housing, transportation and taxes – are gleaned from official sources, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, divided over a work-year of 2,080 hours. – From the Washington Post

Idaho Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment – 2014

Annual labor force, employment and unemployment for Idaho and its substate areas can now be found for 2014 in the Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment, available on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website at www.bls.gov/opub/gp/laugp.htm. The profile is generated by data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program, which is administered for Idaho by the state Department of Labor.