Tag Archives: Lisa Grigg

Around Idaho: Economic Activity, April 2023

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
Eastern Idaho

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

Region

  • Labor demand in northern Idaho remains robust, with elevated levels of unfilled jobs. There were 2,674 job postings in northern Idaho in April 2023, according to data from the Conference Board — 2,342 in Kootenai County. The most in-demand occupation was registered nurses, followed by a variety of high-turnover and common service sector positions.

Table: North Idaho top 10 job postings, April 2023

Kootenai County

  • Post Falls-based Prairie Falls Golf Club began construction on a new 43,000-square-foot facility that will be the new home of the club’s pro shop, a hotel, event center, retail and restaurant facilities. The new facility is scheduled to open in July, and the golf club will be hiring 40 additional employees. Source: Journal of Business
  • Beacon Cancer Care is expanding its services with the addition of a new rheumatology practice in its Coeur d’Alene Chinook Medical Campus. Source: Journal of Business
  • A new urban development is being built in Post Falls. The 32-acre Millworx development will feature 685 residential units in addition to over 100,000 square feet of commercial space. The project has expanded significantly after it was originally envisioned as a 120-unit development in 2022. The development will also include a Hyatt Place Hotel and a variety of retail and restaurant establishments. Source: Journal of Business

Construction of a new 18-story high rise condominium in downtown Coeur d’Alene is underway. Named the Thomas George Building, the building will be home to 60 luxury condominiums and offer views of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Source: Journal of Business

  • The Idaho Transportation Department has begun its first full season of construction on the planned four-year revision of the critical interchange between Interstate 90 and State Route 41. After preparatory work began in August of last year, the crews in the 2023 season will focus on building three new bridges for westbound I-90. The project is scheduled to be completed by summer Source: Journal of Business

Openings:

  • Beau Monde Luxe, Hayden
  • Fire Artisan Pizza, Coeur d’Alene
  • Konala Hawaiian Restaurant, Post Falls
  • North Idaho Medical Massage, Coeur d’Alene
  • Parallel 47 Restaurant, Coeur d’Alene
  • Pinnacle Estate Planning, Coeur d’Alene
  • Post Falls Pavilion Food Trucks, Post Falls
  • Quality Stoves and Spa, Post Falls
  • ReMAX Realty, Coeur d’Alene
  • Rude Law, Coeur d’Alene

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

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Idaho’s small employer establishments continue to grow

Small businesses continue to be the core drivers of employment growth throughout Idaho when considering both new establishments and overall contribution to total employment. However, large entities may have had more success in recruitment during the tight labor market of the past year due to name recognition, overall position growth and movement within the company, along with larger job listing budgets.

The average employer establishment in Idaho had approximately 11-12 workers over the past year, and more than 90% of Idaho’s covered employers have hired fewer than 20 people per year on average over the past four quarters.

Key employment metrics based on employer size for the past 12 months as of third quarter 2022:

  • 92% of Idaho’s employers hired fewer than 20 employees.
  • Fewer than 200 employers in Idaho hired more than 500 employees. These large employers make up less than 1% of total employers who pay unemployment insurance taxes but 27% of total statewide employment.
  • Idaho added nearly 6,000 employer establishments in the year ending Sept. 30, 2022, with 97% of them having fewer than 20 employees and all in the private sector.
  • One-year share of total employment by industry: professional and business services 33%, financial activities 12%, construction 12%, and health care and social assistance 10%.Table: Employer establishments by number of employees as of 3rdQ 2022

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity, February 2023

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
Eastern Idaho

 

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

Kootenai County

  • Kootenai Health is opening a new urgent care clinic in Coeur d’Alene in partnership with the MultiCare Health System’s Indigo Urgent Care network. In 2022, Kootenai Urgent Care had more than 55,000 visits across its three locations. The new clinic will help distribute the caseload and reduce wait times. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Hayden Canyon Charter school has completed a major expansion project which doubled the available space in the school. The charter school has seen a large increase in applications in recent years and has had student counts limited by available classrooms. The new expansion will increase the capacity by up to 100 incoming first and second grade students, bringing the school’s total capacity up to nearly 600 students. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • North Idaho College (NIC) received a downgrade in its bond ratings from Moody’s Investor Service amid ongoing questions about the college’s accreditation status and governance ambiguity. NIC’s issuer rating was downgraded from A3 to A1, and the revenue bond rating was dropped from A3 to A2. Moody’s cited “a continuing period of significant governance and management dysfunction.” Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings – Post Falls

  • North Idaho Urology
  • BoxDrop Mattress and Furniture
  • St Joseph’s Ear, Nose, Throat, and Allergy Clinic
  • Dog House Grooming
  • North Idaho Floors

Coeur d’Alene

  • Blythe Anchor
  • JIK Printshop

Hayden

    • Revival Wellness

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

Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic Activity, January 2023

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
Eastern Idaho

 

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

Region

  • The Idaho Department of Lands purchased 18,050 acres of timberland spread around the five northern Idaho counties. The land, acquired for $50.4 million, will support state endowment beneficiaries, especially Idaho’s public schools, and boost long-term timber sales. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Kootenai County

  • Great Homes of Idaho is now operating in Post Falls. A builder of manufactured and modular homes, Great Homes started in Missoula and has now expanded to northern Idaho. This new supply of affordable housing is greatly desirable, with Kootenai County experiencing serious shortages of workforce housing. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Coeur d’Alene Airport is evaluating adding a commercial terminal. The current proposal would permit Avports, an airport operations management firm based in Virginia, to construct a new terminal, which would service commercial flights connecting northern Idaho to regional locations like Boise and Seattle. A measure is currently before the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners which would approve a 25-year lease for the project. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The Hayden City Council denied a zoning amendment which would have allowed for a new subdivision to be built on the arterial Ramsey and Hayden intersection. Council members cited serious traffic concerns. The city’s capital improvement plan has already identified the intersection as a priority for improvement. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings

  • Bruchi’s, Post Falls
  • Club Pilates, Hayden
  • Parallel 47, Coeur d’Alene
  • Pizza Hut, Hayden
  • The Wellness Bar, Coeur d’Alene

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

Continue reading →

Jan. 17 webinar focuses on winter seasonality in Idaho’s job market 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Jan. 10, 2023
Media Contact: Lindsay.Trombly@labor.idaho.gov

Photo of Idaho in winter

Idaho businesses are invited to learn about seasonal adjustments in employment and unemployment data in a free webinar Jan. 17.

Lisa Grigg, Idaho Department of Labor economist for north central Idaho, will explain the reasons behind seasonality and shed light on the seasonal adjustment process. Workshop participants will learn what seasonal adjustments are and how the process allows clearer comparisons of data over time as calendar effects, major outliers and one-time events are eliminated.

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Around Idaho: Economic Activity, December 2022

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
Eastern Idaho

 

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

Kootenai County

  • Northern Idaho ended the year with labor demand still at elevated levels amid pressing labor shortages. Job posting data from The Conference Board’s Help Wanted OnLine data series showed nearly 21,000 job postings in the Coeur d’Alene metro area in 2022 – a significant increase over past years. The year ended with over 3,500 unfilled jobs in the region.
  • A 26,000-square-foot facility for Hayden Surgery Center is under construction in Hayden. The facility will include an orthopedic urgent care, physical therapy office and an outpatient surgery center with four operating rooms. The surgery center is scheduled to open in September.

Openings

  • Bruchi’s (Post Falls)
  • Berry Bay Smoothies (Hayden)
  • Vantage Point Brewing (Coeur d’Alene)
  • Caliber Collision (Post Falls)
  • Beer One (Coeur d’Alene)
  • Milan Laser Hair Removal (Post Falls)
  • Incyte Diagnostics (Post Falls)
  • Alpine Auto & Off Road Repair (Post Falls)

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

Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic Activity, November 2022

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
Eastern Idaho

 

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

Bonner County

  • BNSF Railways opened its Sandpoint Junction Connector bridge nearly a year ahead of schedule and began running traffic across the bridge. The new bridge adds a second line across Lake Pend Oreille, addressing a critical transit bottleneck where multiple lines converge before crossing the lake. Source: CDA Press

Kootenai County

  • A new preschool is under construction in Coeur d’Alene. Phase one construction of the Kinder Prep Learning Center is underway with a spring opening planned. The preschool will care for children ages 18 months to 5 years old. Kootenai County currently has substantial shortages of childcare availability. Source: CDA Press
  • A 20,000-square-foot professional building is under construction in Coeur d’Alene. The Prairie Professional building will offer suite sizes ranging from 2,200 to 10,000 square feet. The project is slated for completion in December 2023. Source: CDA Press
  • The city of Coeur d’Alene is exploring grant options to help pay for new mooring docks at the city’s popular Third Street docks. The current docks were installed in 2000 and have cost the city nearly $100,000 in repairs due to rotting timbers. The city Parks and Recreation Department is exploring a $500,000 project to replace the current timber docks with composite materials. Source: CDA Press

Openings

  • UPS Office Center (Hayden)
  • Rivaura CDA Tasting Room (Coeur d’Alene)
  • Uncorked with Friends (Hayden)
  • HomeTown Family Chiropractic (Coeur d’Alene)
  • Northwest Crafters (Coeur d’Alene)
  • Cochinito Taqueria (Hayden)
  • Burger Dock (Coeur d’Alene)

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

Continue reading →

Winter’s arrival and why employment is seasonally adjusted

Most of Idaho experiences below freezing temperatures and is often covered under a blanket of snow between November and February. When the weather turns colder, employment levels decline in industries such as construction, mining/logging and leisure/hospitality. The holiday season and winter breaks result in fluctuations in educational services and retail. Despite the Farmer’s Almanac predicting Idaho’s 2022-2023 winter season to be dry and calm, it will still see patterns in our overall employment levels where the direction and magnitude can often be forecasted. This reduction in employment does not represent a permanent trend for analyzing the labor force but reverses in a predictable manner throughout the calendar year. Data that is seasonally adjusted helps reduce the noise of recurring seasonal fluctuation and show the true underlying employment trends present in Idaho’s labor force. Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic Activity, October 2022

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
Eastern Idaho

 

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

Kootenai County

  • Northwest Specialty Hospital has sold its facilities and property to a Milwaukee-based investment company. The hospital will now be a tenant in the buildings which it formerly owned. The hospital is physician owned and opted to sell as many of the founding providers are nearing retirement and wish to sell their shares. Source: Journal of Business
  • The Athol Retail Park is expanding, with a variety of new businesses planned for the growing commercial zone. New businesses include a Northwest Specialty Hospital clinic, a physical therapy office and a variety of retail and restaurant establishments. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • Josephs’ Clinic is now open in Post Falls. The new clinic treats ear, nose, throat and allergy conditions and offers relevant outpatient procedures and surgeries. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • North Idaho College is moving forward with its long-term expansion and renovation plans. Two openings were celebrated – including the expansion of the Meyer Health and Sciences Building and the grand opening of the new Dental Hygiene Clinic. The college’s trustees approved the purchase of additional adjacent residential property to support the college’s long-range strategic plans. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings – Coeur d’Alene

  • Terroir Fine Wine
  • Olive + Arrow Boutique
  • Northwell Medical Solutions
  • Coeur Climbing Company
  • Back Pocket Bakery
  • Soul Tribe Collective

Openings – Area

  • The Den, Post Falls
  • Fish On, Rathdrum
  • Platinum Construction, Hayden

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

Continue reading →

Around Idaho: Economic Activity, September 2022

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
Eastern Idaho

 

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

Kootenai County

  • A 27,000-square-foot surgical facility is being built in Hayden. The Hayden Surgery Center will provide outpatient and orthopedic surgery, physical therapy and minor emergency services. Source: Journal of Business
  • North Idaho College’s Dental Hygiene program opened a new community dental clinic on the college’s main campus. The clinic will offer low-cost dental cleanings while helping dental hygiene students complete their clinicals to become register hygienists. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
  • The North Idaho State Fair concluded its 10-day run with a record attendance. The fair saw 168,567 guests – a 9% increase from attendance in 2021. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Openings

  • Valvoline Instant Oil Change, Coeur d’Alene
  • Bottle Joy, Coeur d’Alene
  • Little Bear Tattoo, Coeur d’Alene
  • Lucy & Sevens Pizzeria, Coeur d’Alene
  • Uncorked With Friends, Hayden
  • Dent Viking, Post Falls
  • North Idaho Rock School, Rathdrum

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

Continue reading →