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In Lean Times, Lumber Companies Look Abroad

Lately, StateImpact has reported a series of stories on the timber industry.  We’ve reported on a Montana entrepreneur’s effort to start up a small mill in Emmett, Idaho with the help of federal stimulus funding.  We’ve also considered the divergent economic realities of counties associated with agriculture and counties associated with the timber industry.  Next up: […]

Outdoor Recreation An “Overlooked Economic Giant”

Americans spent far more on outdoor recreation last year than they did on pharmaceuticals.  That’s one finding of a report released this weekend that highlights the economic impact of outdoor recreation nationally and in the West. U.S. spending on outdoor recreation exceeded $645 billion last year, the report says.  By comparison, spending on pharmaceuticals totaled […]

Phosphate Drives Rural Caribou County’s Economy

The top employer in more than half of Idaho’s 44 counties is a local, state or federal government entity.  Sixteen counties have a private company as the largest employer.  We’re looking at who some of those private companies are, and in some cases, they’re a bit unexpected. Shoshone County for instance, known for its rich […]

Mining: Looking for Growth in Old Places

The creation and growth of most western states was a direct result of the mining industries that developed in the late 1800s.  In Idaho, it was silver and gold.  Mining and other traditional natural resources have taken a big hit in the last decade, but industry representatives and some economists believe they’re still a major […]

What Idaho’s Economy Looks Like…in Pie Form

The Idaho Department of Labor says the state’s economy has been growing more slowly than the nation’s.  The Idaho Statesman reports the state’s total gross state product rose 3.3 percent last year to $55.4 billion.  But, when adjusted for inflation, it rose 2 percent to $50.7 billion.  Nationwide, the inflation-adjusted gross product for 2010 is […]

Hoping for An Economic Turnaround? Five Idaho Industries to Watch

These five industries, like construction and high-tech, hardly cover Idaho’s entire economy, but they have acted as some of the most volatile and crucial economic indicators over the last decade.  State economists say Idaho’s economic turnaround will be gradual, albeit it’s headed in the right direction. Services & Trade: The services industry includes everything from […]

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