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Waiting For Recovery: Idaho's Economy In 4 Charts

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Background

This page is no longer being updated. For ongoing coverage of this topic, go to Boise State Public Radio’s website.

Much like the nation, Idaho’s post-recession recovery has been slow and bumpy.

In areas like the housing market, Idaho has shown repeated positive signs since StateImpact started keeping track in 2011.  Idaho’s hardest-hit sector, construction, is also making a steady, albeit slow, comeback.

As this chart shows, Idaho’s unemployment rate is also continuing its trend downward.

However, Idaho still isn’t seeing a positive change in three areas.

Median income hasn’t rebounded…

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Idaho’s poverty rate continues to increase…

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

And more people are using food stamps than ever before…

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Latest Posts

July 11, 2013

Home Prices In Idaho Are Up 15 Percent, New Building Permits Above Average

Idaho is one of five states that saw housing prices climb by more than 12 percent from the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013. In Idaho, home prices are up 15.1 percent over the first quarter of last year. But as the State Economic Monitor from the Tax Policy Institute points […]

June 6, 2013

Idaho’s GDP Ticks Up Slightly, Though Still Behind Most States

Idaho’s real gross domestic product inched up less than a percentage point from 2011 to 2012. New data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show Idaho’s GDP grew four-tenths of a percent last year. Five states measured slower growth; Wyoming, New Mexico, South Dakota, Delaware, and Connecticut. Connecticut was the only U.S. […]

June 4, 2013

Idaho’s Underemployment Rate Drops, But It’s Still Well Above Pre-Recession Levels

The number of Idahoans who don’t have enough work declined between 2011 and 2012, but the state’s underemployment rate is still well above pre-recession levels. The Idaho Department of Labor writes in its latest newsletter the 2012 underemployment rate was 16.9 percent. That means nearly 17 percent of Idaho’s workforce had part-time or temporary jobs […]

May 1, 2013

Rankings Of Idaho’s Business Climate? Take Them With A Grain Of Salt

Why does Idaho come in ninth in one index evaluating state business taxes and climates, but 31st in another? According to a report published today by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit that focuses on accountability in economic development and business subsidies, there’s a simple answer: the enterprise of ranking states’ business climates is fundamentally flawed. […]

April 19, 2013

Idaho’s Unemployment Rate Holds Steady As Labor Force Shrinks

Idaho’s jobless rate remained flat last month, at 6.2 percent. The Idaho Department of Labor’s monthly report says the rate is holding steady despite anemic hiring because of an ongoing decline in the size of the state’s workforce. Total employment fell by about 600 people in March, even as employers hired about 13,000 workers, according […]

March 27, 2013

Personal Income Grows, But Idahoan’s Earnings Still Fall Short

Idaho’s per capita personal income increased by $868 in 2012. That’s a 3.3 percent increase over 2011, and it boosts annual earnings above their 2008 peak. But the change wasn’t enough to narrow the gap between the net incomes of Idahoans and Americans at large. The annual personal income data released today from the U.S. […]

March 25, 2013

Idaho’s Income Gap Continues To Grow

On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will release personal income data for 2012. In anticipation of that release, StateImpact Idaho pulled together personal income data going back to 1990 and compared it with the U.S. average. The data show a widening gap between Idaho and the country as a whole. Source: Bureau of […]

Low Inventory Continues To Drive Up Treasure Valley Home Prices

Spring marks the start of the busy season for home-buying and selling. In the Treasure Valley, the housing market mirrors national trends. The story is one of few homes for sale, and high demand. Mike Turner, an agent with Front Street Brokers in Boise, will tell you: the local housing market was competitive last spring, and […]

March 22, 2013

Idaho’s Jobless Rate Ticks Down As The Labor Force Shrinks

The February jobs report from the Idaho Department of Labor follows trends we’ve seen over the last few months. February’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down one percentage point to 6.2 percent, but that decline is due to a shrinking workforce. The Labor Department says private sector employers hired more people than usual last month, […]

March 15, 2013

Idaho’s Jobless Rate Stagnant, Workforce Shrinks

Idaho’s January jobless rate didn’t change from December. It remained at 6.3 percent according to the Idaho Department of Labor. December and January’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 6.3 is a four-year low, but Idaho’s workforce isn’t adding jobs as expected. The Department says Idaho’s labor force actually declined in January.

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