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What We’re Reading: “How the Temps Who Power Corporate Giants Are Getting Crushed”

Nearly one-fifth of the total post-recession job growth falls into the temporary worker category. That’s according to an in-depth investigation by ProPublica. Their article dubbed, “The Expendables”, takes a closer look at where temp jobs are on the rise, what’s causing the increase, and how temp work affects those jobholders. Across America, temporary work has […]

Idaho’s Underemployment Rate Drops, But It’s Still Well Above Pre-Recession Levels

The number of Idahoans who don’t have enough work declined between 2011 and 2012, but the state’s underemployment rate is still well above pre-recession levels. The Idaho Department of Labor writes in its latest newsletter the 2012 underemployment rate was 16.9 percent. That means nearly 17 percent of Idaho’s workforce had part-time or temporary jobs […]

Idaho’s Labor Force Drops To Two-Year Low, Jobless Rate Unchanged

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed at 6.1 percent in April as the state’s labor force continued to shrink. The Idaho Department of Labor reports 1,300 people left the workforce last month. That’s four straight months of labor force decline. Idaho’s workforce is now at its lowest level in two years. The Department says more […]

Federal Sequester Turns Idaho Employment Workers Into Job Seekers

In the next couple of months, many employment office workers in the northwest will join the unemployed. State labor agencies are having to make cutbacks in staffing. It’s due to a combination of the economy getting better and federal budget cuts known as the “sequester” setting in. Staffing at the local employment office usually moves […]

Bottom Rung: The Workforce Shift That’s Costing Idaho Good-Paying Jobs

Not long ago, you could hear the buzz of power saws all over the Treasure Valley. It was punctuated by the steady rhythm of hammers and nail guns. More than 10,000 homes went up in Ada and Canyon counties in the two years before the recession hit. Then, the sound stopped. “’08 and ’09 were […]

Bottom Rung: Gov. Otter Touts Idaho’s Low Wages To Attract Gun Companies

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter is using Idaho’s low wages as a selling point. In a letter sent to out-of-state gun manufacturers last month to encourage them to relocate to Idaho, Otter touts the comparatively low cost of labor here. This week we’re reporting on wages in Idaho. The governor portrays as an asset the wage […]

Bottom Rung: Why An Influx Of Retirees To Idaho Is Creating More Low-Wage Jobs

There’s a brand new pizza joint in southeast Boise. It’s nestled in a mini-strip mall with a gas station, dry cleaner and hair salon. On a recent Friday evening, Franco’s Pizzeria was just starting to pick up. It’s a tiny place. The cash register is only a few steps away from the industrial pizza ovens. […]

Rankings Of Idaho’s Business Climate? Take Them With A Grain Of Salt

Why does Idaho come in ninth in one index evaluating state business taxes and climates, but 31st in another? According to a report published today by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit that focuses on accountability in economic development and business subsidies, there’s a simple answer: the enterprise of ranking states’ business climates is fundamentally flawed. […]

Aberdeen, Idaho Anxious About Simplot Closure And Personal Property Tax Repeal

Tomorrow, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter and a half-dozen state officials will visit a small eastern Idaho town of fewer than 2,000 people.  That town – Aberdeen – will be Idaho’s Capital for a Day.  Mayor Morgan Anderson says he hopes to use some of the time to explain to state leaders why he’s concerned for […]

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