Idaho Unemployment Drops

The unemployment rate is down in Idaho for the seventh straight month.

The latest numbers from the Department of Labor reveal February’s unemployment rate in Idaho fell to an even 8 percent. That’s down one-tenth of 1 percent from January, and is three-tenths of a percent below the national unemployment rate.

“We’re typically below that national average so it’s nice to stay in that position,” said regional economist Will Jenson

Jenson is eastern Idaho’s go-to economist when it comes to sizing up the workforce. He said he expects to see more Idahoans on the job, but he’s especially impressed with our local outlook.

“In years past we had actually underestimated the size of the labor force,? Jenson said. ?So once we got the new census numbers in, it actually increased the size of the labor force.”

In other words, there are more people in the Idaho Falls metropolitan area than once thought, and they’re here to work.

“We’re really moving in the right direction and it looks like a trend that’s going to continue,” Jenson said.

As we approach the spring and summer months, that trend will certainly continue, in the form of construction, leisure and hospitality jobs, according to Jenson.

“The seasonal trends are looking normal now, compared to during the recession when the seasonal trends were kind of wiped out,? Jenson said. ?Just the fact that we are returning back to those normal seasonal hiring trends that we’re accustomed to shows that there is some health in the labor market.”

You might recall back in January when the Idaho National Laboratory announced some pretty big layoffs. That did not impact the unemployment rate as much as experts had predicted it would, because many of those workers did not apply for unemployment benefits. This could be a result of many of the displaced workers already finding new jobs.