Data Debacle: Blaine County’s True Top Employer

Jessica Pupovac / NPR StateImpact

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One of our readers recently asked why the Sun Valley Resort isn’t one of Blaine County’s top employers.  Data from the Idaho Labor Department shows the Blaine County School District is the biggest employer in that county.

Back in January we posted this map, which shows the top five employers in each county.  We wanted to see how many top employers were government entities and how many were private companies.

The data for the map came directly from the Idaho Department of Labor. The most recent figures available, or an average number of employees between October 2010 and September 2011 were used to make the map.  It’s up to each company to report that info to the state.

Marc Muench / Getty Images

The Sun Valley Lodge in Sun Valley, Idaho

We’ve since learned 11 of Idaho’s top 50 private companies have requested this data be omitted from the public record.  Sun Valley Resort is one of them.  Sun Valley spokesman Jack Sibbach says the resort didn’t know it’s data wasn’t public.

Sibbach says the Resort’s employee count is about 1,600 during the peak winter tourism season.  Sibbach estimates the average annual employee count is between 900 and 1,000.  Having this info, the Sun Valley Resort easily slides into the top employer spot for Blaine County.