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.

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November 16, 2012

As Idaho’s Unemployment Rate Drops, The Labor Force Shrinks

More than 7,000 Idahoans have left the labor force since May, says the state Labor Department, and that’s why Idaho’s jobless rate continues to decline. The Idaho Department of Labor’s monthly unemployment report shows the jobless rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point from September to October. The 7.0 percent seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is […]

October 19, 2012

Idaho’s Jobless Rate Falls To 7.1 Percent As Labor Force Shrinks

Once again, Idaho’s unemployment rate brings mixed news. Upfront, it’s good: unemployment dropped by three tenths of a percent in September, falling to 7.1 percent. The rate “plunged,” as Department of Labor spokesman Bob Fick puts it, and reached its lowest level since May of 2009. Also in the positive column: there were 1,200 more […]

October 18, 2012

Thousands Of Idahoans Lose Unemployment Benefits As Federal Program Expires

About 150 Idahoans are exhausting their unemployment insurance benefits each week without finding work, according to the state Department of Labor. In addition, the department this week notified more than 6,000 Idahoans that their unemployment insurance benefits will expire at the end of the year. The benefits coming to an end are provided under the […]

October 3, 2012

Updated: Idaho Molybdenum Mine Announces 100 Layoffs

The Thompson Creek molybdenum mine issued 105 layoff notices today according to the Idaho Business Review. Molybdenum is a metal with a high melting point used in steel alloys, among other things. The central Idaho mine is operated by a company based in Denver and Vancouver, B.C. The Business Review reports the company estimates it […]

September 21, 2012

Idaho’s Latest Good News-Bad News Unemployment Report

At first glance, it’s good news. Idaho’s unemployment rate ticked down yet another tenth of a percentage point in August, falling to a three-year low of 7.4 percent. That’s better than the national rate of 8.1. But, like the nation as a whole, Idaho is now facing an unhappy trend: its labor force is also […]

September 18, 2012

Boise Economy Shows Relative Strength In Shaky Recovery

Early this year, as a signs of economic recovery faded into yet another spring slump, Boise for the most part held its ground. That’s the main local takeaway from the Brookings Institution’s current Metro Monitor report, which sizes up the health of urban economies from April through June. Idaho’s unemployment rate held steady during that […]

August 27, 2012

Is Bonneville County A Solid Bet For Work? CNN Thinks So

CNN Money recently published a list of the 25 best counties in the country to find work. At number 15, nestled between Houston County, Georgia and Cass County, North Dakota is Bonneville County, Idaho. That includes Idaho Falls and part of one of Idaho’s biggest employers, the Idaho National Laboratory. The lab is spread across […]

August 17, 2012

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

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 […]

August 9, 2012

Census Launches First Mobile App

If you’re hungry for raw economic statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau has launched its first mobile app. The app is available for Android users now. Apple users will have to wait a few weeks. The Census app promises info on 16 key economic indicators including; wholesale and retail trade, unemployment, construction and personal income. The […]

July 20, 2012

Idaho’s Jobless Rate Ticks Down, Employment Gains In Construction And Professional Services

For the first time in almost three years, fewer than 60,000 Idahoans are out of work. That’s according to the latest jobless report by the Idaho Department of Labor. That figure doesn’t include Idahoans who’ve stopped looking for work or who are underemployed. Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the month of June dropped one […]