Tens-of-thousands more Idahoans employed over 2011
Some new numbers from the Idaho Department of Labor put the Gem State in front of the rest of the country.
The unemployment stats are so good in fact, they are the lowest in several years for Idaho.
“It’s something to take pride in,” said mom Megan Buchanan.
Buchanan landed a new job at the Idaho Falls Apple Athletic Club front desk about a month ago.
“I have an almost 2-year-old, and I needed a little something to supplement,” she said.
Buchanan is new to the workforce, and in Idaho she’s part of a growing pool. More and more Gem State folks are going from jobless to employed.
According to the Idaho Department of Labor, about 20,000 more Idahoans had jobs this July over July, 2011.
The trend puts Idaho out front.
Currently, the nation’s average unemployment rate hovers at over 8-percent.
Idaho’s rate is just 7.5-percent.
The Department of Labor said that represents a 3 year low for the state.
To put it into perspective, The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Idaho and Rhode Island were the only two states in the nation to post a decline in the jobless rate from June to July this year.
For Buchanan, the chance at employment is good for the soul.
“It’s nice to have that extra facet in my life, instead of just my home life,” she said.
According to the Department of Labor, all sectors contributed to the positive jobs news, with lower layoff rates across the board. The only exception was health care. The department said consolidation of medical providers appears to be increasing operating efficiency and reducing the need for some jobs.
