Construction: The Heart of Idaho's Recession

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Construction workers surveying a job site

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Idaho’s construction industry lost 10,000 jobs from 2008 to 2009 according to the state Department of Labor. Labor spokesman Bob Fick said job losses in construction and manufacturing was the heart of Idaho’s recession.

“Once you suck those jobs out — and they’re really good paying jobs, said Fick, then you see the ripple effects in retail and services and almost all other sectors because people don’t have any money to spend.”

State and private economists agree recovery in the construction industry will be slow. The Division of Financial Management predicts the industry will lose another 1,300 jobs by the end of 2011. It’s likely the state won’t be able to measure growth here until 2014.

Derek Santos is the Chief Economist at the Division of Financial Management. “Despite its anticipated growth, construction employment comes nowhere close to regaining its previous peak,” Santos wrote in the July 2011 forecast. “Instead, there are about as many jobs (forecast) in 2014 as there were in 2009.”

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May 9, 2013

Bottom Rung: Construction Jobs Gained And Lost, And Their Place In Idaho’s Economy

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January 17, 2013

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January 16, 2013

Idaho’s Construction Industry Slogs Through Slow Growth

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September 26, 2012

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August 20, 2012

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August 9, 2012

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July 31, 2012

Idaho’s Quarterly Economic Forecast Places Growth On Old Industries

Idaho’s chief economist predicts the state will remain in growth mode over the next few years, but the rate of that growth has been ratcheted down. The Division of Financial Management’s quarterly economic forecast, authored by chief economist Derek Santos, lays out employment and sector growth through 2015. The latest report estimates Idaho will continue […]

July 16, 2012

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