Work in Progress: Idaho's Unemployment App

Background

Idaho’s unemployment rate continued to go up after the recession was officially declared over in 2009. The monthly jobless rate didn’t start to trend down until recently, and it’s an economic indicator we’ve followed closely over the last few months. Our coverage is driven in two ways: data and the personal stories. This web-based data application combines both.

Our app will let you visualize Idaho’s unemployment rate over time, and in each Idaho county. You can use the map to get specific data for the county you live in. Then, you can use the slider tool to see how the rate has changed in your area overtime compared with the state and national data.

On the left-hand side of the app you’ll find the personal stories we’ve been reporting for the last few months. The series is called Jobless in Idaho. There, you’ll find the compelling stories of people who found themselves out of work and in many cases, with few options. It’s a series of stories we’re updating regularly as each of the people involved find their next opportunity.

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March 2, 2012

Lack Of Work Means Fewer Options For One Idaho Teen

StateImpact is reporting on teen unemployment this week, which has meant talking to a lot of school counselors and high school students. We’ll be wrapping their stories into a radio feature early next week, but in the meantime, we’re introducing a couple of the teenagers here. First, meet Igor Autin. He’s a junior at Boise […]

March 1, 2012

Idaho’s 2011 Unemployment Rate Barely Lower Than 2010

Idaho’s average annual jobless rate in 2011 wasn’t much different from 2010. Data released this week from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Idaho’s average unemployment rate in 2011 was 8.7 percent, down one-tenth of a percent from 2010. Idaho Department of Labor Regional Economist Kathryn Tacke says there are a couple of reasons for […]

February 27, 2012

Unemployed Teens Could Face Long-Term Disadvantages

Idaho had one of the highest teen unemployment rates in the nation last year. Nearly 30 percent of 16- to 19-year-old Idahoans were unemployed, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. This week, StateImpact is exploring that rate. After all, unemployed teens aren’t just college-bound high school students who are finding it harder to […]

A Seasonal Ski Hill Is One Idaho County’s Top Employer

In about 30 minutes, outdoor winter recreators can escape the snow-less city of Boise and find themselves in a winter wonderland. It’s the Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area. Downhill ski slopes along with Nordic and snowshoe trails are perched on the far southern end of Boise County, just across the Ada County line. It’s this seasonal […]

February 20, 2012

“60 Minutes” Highlights Unique Program To Put People Back To Work

CBS News 60 Minutes’ story Trapped in Unemployment follows a group of jobless 40-and 50-somethings. They’re participants in a program aimed at getting people back to work through internships. The story takes place in Connecticut, some 2,000 miles away from Idaho. But the stories in the 60 Minutes piece don’t stray far from the narratives […]

February 17, 2012

Maximum Jobless Benefits For Idahoans Likely Scaled Back To 63 Weeks

Congress is expected to pass a $150 billion economic deal today that would extend a payroll tax cut for 10 months and extend unemployment benefits through the end of the year. But as The Washington Post reports the deal would reduce those unemployment benefits by the end of the year from the current maximum of […]

February 16, 2012

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 […]

February 15, 2012

Car Sales Are Big Business in One Rural Idaho County

Shoshone County is known as the Silver Valley because of its long history of metal mining, but mines aren’t the top employer anymore. A car dealership is. Dave Smith Motors employs about 400 people, according to data from the state. Hecla Mining, the operator of the Lucky Friday Mine comes in a close second, with […]

New Report Predicts the Best Jobs in Idaho for 2012

A Moscow, Idaho based economic modeling company has released its predictions for the Gem State’s top jobs in 2012. Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. or EMSI says registered nurses, nuclear engineers and electrical power-line installers and repairers are the three best jobs to seek this year. EMSI says those three professions have seen some of the […]

February 9, 2012

Idaho National Lab Announces Layoffs

Officials with the Idaho National Laboratory say they need to cut 185 employees to reduce costs. The Associated Press reports employees at the lab were informed of the job cuts today. Lab officials will ask for voluntary layoffs before deciding how many pink slips to hand out. Human Resources Director Mark Holubar tells Boise State […]