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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June 21, 2013

Idaho’s Labor Force Grows, Unemployment Rate Ticks Up

For the first time since June 2011, Idaho’s unemployment rate ticked up one-tenth of a percentage point in May. The Idaho Department of Labor says the workforce grew last month, contributing to an increase in the jobless rate from 6.1 percent in April to 6.2 percent in May. “May’s labor force expansion ended a four-month […]

June 20, 2013

Jobless In Idaho: Landing A Career After Two Years On The Hunt

Two years, several temporary jobs, 15 interviews, and countless applications later, Justy Thomas has landed a permanent job. “I feel blessed I have a stable job,” she says. Thomas is now working in the human resources department of a local utility company. We first introduced you to Justy Thomas in November 2011. She’s been part […]

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 30, 2013

Is Idaho A Good Place To Be Unemployed? Yes, Says Bloomberg

Idaho is one of the best states to be without a job. That’s according to government data analyzed by Bloomberg. The online business news site says it considered average unemployment insurance benefits as a percentage of average per capita income, the jobless rate, wealth disparity, and the ratio of households earning at least $200,000 to […]

May 17, 2013

Idaho’s Labor Force Drops To Two-Year Low, Jobless Rate Unchanged

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed at 6.1 percent in April as the state’s labor force continued to shrink. The Idaho Department of Labor reports 1,300 people left the workforce last month. That’s four straight months of labor force decline. Idaho’s workforce is now at its lowest level in two years. The Department says more […]

May 16, 2013

Federal Sequester Turns Idaho Employment Workers Into Job Seekers

In the next couple of months, many employment office workers in the northwest will join the unemployed. State labor agencies are having to make cutbacks in staffing. It’s due to a combination of the economy getting better and federal budget cuts known as the “sequester” setting in. Staffing at the local employment office usually moves […]

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 28, 2013

Some Idahoans Will See Their Jobless Benefits Cut

Some Idahoans receiving unemployment insurance payments will see their benefits cut by more than 10 percent. The Idaho Department of Labor says the federal budget cuts, called “sequestration,” that went into effect at the beginning of this month triggered a 10.7 percent reduction in those unemployment benefits. Unless Congress acts, the benefit payment cuts could […]

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.