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Tracking Idaho's Unemployment Rate

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Do you remember Idaho’s unemployment rate just as the recession was being noticed? It was three percent.

The National Bureau of Economic Research said the great recession started in December 2007 and ended in June 2009.

Since those declarations, Idaho’s unemployment rate climbed to its peak of 8.8 percent in August 2010. By August 2011 it had dropped to 8.4 percent, and by August 2012 it was down to 7 percent.

Latest Posts

November 9, 2011

Young Adults Face Big Hurdles

A recent study published by the progressive think tank Demos paints a bleak picture for 20-somethings in the U.S.  The report says almost all young people earn less than the previous generation at the same age.  Plus, in today’s world, a college education is becoming a standard requirement in order for 20-somethings to advance up […]

Career Counselor Embraces New Technology: Network, Network, Network

Debbie Kaylor is the director of Boise State University’s Career Center.  She and her staff help students and alumni decide what kind of career path is right for them.  The center also helps facilitate internships. It provides assistance with interview skills, building resumes and networking.  I spoke with Kaylor to find out if university career […]

November 8, 2011

Labor Director Opposes Extending Unemployment Benefits

In a move that surprised advocates for Idaho’s disadvantaged, Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger Madsen today urged state lawmakers and Idaho’s Congressional delegation to oppose the further extension of federal unemployment insurance benefits.  Madsen said his aim is to bolster the program’s long-term strength.   In a letter addressed to Idaho U.S. Senator Mike Crapo […]

Jobless in Idaho

The Idaho Department of Labor estimates there are nearly 70,000 people in the state who don’t have jobs.  Tens of thousands more are either underemployed or have stopped looking for work. “The unemployment rate measures people who are actively looking for work or working.  If you’re not actively looking for work than you’re listed in […]

November 7, 2011

Poverty Rises in the West Using New Census Bureau Calculation

The U.S. Census Bureau released a new and expanded measure of domestic poverty today.  Unlike the official poverty line, which is calculated based on food costs, the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure takes into account things like geographic differences in the cost of living and the assistance received through public benefits like food stamps. We […]

November 4, 2011

This Week’s Essential StateImpact Idaho

Kanpai Girl / Flickr These are the five stories that got the most clicks, comments and shares this week.  In case you missed one, we put them together in this handy list.  Just click the blue link to read more! In the Wake of Foreclosure, a Debt that Won’t Die: Ben and Lori Jensen thought […]

Idaho and the Wage Gap

The Government Accountability Office has released a new report on the persistent wage gap between working men and women.  Specifically, the report considers workers who have less education and earn lower wages.  Among its findings: “Even when less-educated women and men were in the same broad industry or occupation category, these women’s average hourly wage […]

November 3, 2011

A First Look at the Cost of Chobani’s Idaho Plant

Chobani’s parent company, Agro Farma, has released some details of its plans to build a new yogurt manufacturing facility in Twin Falls.  The company plans to break ground on the facility in December. It will be located on 200 acres south of U.S. Highway 30. The city of Twin Falls has agreed to more than $25 […]

New York Yogurt Maker Bringing 400 Jobs to Twin Falls, Idaho

The Greek yogurt maker Chobani says it will hire at least 400 people and invest $100 million in its new manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Times-News reports city officials and local and state economic development leaders brokered a deal behind closed doors to lure the New York-based company to the region.  The newspaper […]

November 1, 2011

Chance of Slipping Back into a Recession Grows

Idaho’s Division of Financial Management (DFM) released its latest economic forecast today and the news is gloomy.  The probably of slipping back into a national recession is higher than it was just three months ago.  “In the previous (July) forecast, the probability of the economy slipping into a recession was 25 percent,” says Derek Santos, […]

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