Idaho’s Jobless Rate Drops To Lowest Level In Three Years

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Idaho's jobless rate ticked down two-tenths of a percent from June to July.

Almost 20,000 more Idahoans had jobs this July compared to last. The Idaho Department of Labor reports July’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point from June to 7.5 percent.  That’s a three-year low, and it’s better than the national rate of 8.3 percent.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Idaho and Rhode Island were the only two states, to post a decline in the jobless rate from June to July.  The District of Columbia also saw a decrease.

Idaho Department of Labor spokesman Bob Fick says state analysts anticipated the jobless rate would remain flat, much like the national rate, but he adds Idaho has been on a downward trajectory for a year.  “This two-tenths drop is another indication we really are on a slide down, and there is real recovery underway in Idaho,” Fick says.

Still, at least 58,600 people are out of work in the state. The Labor Department reports 15,000 people have exhausted all unemployment insurance benefits without finding a job.

Fick says nearly all sectors of the economy contributed to July’s positive jobs news, keeping payrolls at above average levels.  The one exception he says is in health care, where “the consolidation of medical providers appears to be increasing operating efficiency and reducing the need for some jobs.”

Ten Idaho counties are still experiencing double-digit unemployment rates.  The highest is 17.3 percent in Adams County.  The lowest rate is in Oneida County at 4.2 percent.