Growing population of Hispanics benefit Idaho labor force

The Idaho unemployment rate sits at 3.8% right now, that’s almost two percent lower than the national level. In large part, that’s thanks to the growing hispanic population in Idaho.

Between 2010 and 2013, Idaho’s rural Hispanic population grew by 6 percent, and non-Hispanics declined by 1 percent. agriculture plays a role in rural counties in which Hispanics make up a large share of the population, counties include Clark, Jerome, Minidoka, Power, and Gooding counties.

“More in the Magic Valley, South Central counties where the dairy industry has spurred that growth,” said John Thompson, director of public relations for Farm Bureau.

Hispanics make up 12 percent of Idaho’s total workforce.
“No it’s great for the state,” said Chris St. Jeor, Eastern Idaho Regional Economist. “Right now Idaho is kind of hurting for a workforce.”

Hispanics typically have a higher workforce participation rate. Seventy-one percent of the Hispanic population is either employed or actively seeking employment. whereas 61-percent of non-Hispanics are participating in the workforce.

“Of the Hispanic population they tend to actively look for work at a higher rate than non Hispanics do,” said St. Jeor. “The Hispanic workforce, they gravitate towards agricultural type jobs and also in manufacturing. Those are two things Idaho is really well known for is ag production and food manufacturing, things like that. So they really do fill an important niche in our state’s economy.”
“Without them our farm economy would suffer. Especially in those south central counties where they are depended upon for the dairy industry. That’s where we are seeing all the growth in agriculture, not only in the production of milk but in the processing,” said Thompson. “The size of our dairy herd has grown in the past 15 years has more than doubled. It wouldn’t have been able to do that without those migrant workers, those foreign farm workers to come in and take those jobs.”

The population increase has also affected education. A University of Idaho study found that 6 counties and 10 school districts would have shrunk in recent years if not for growth among Hispanics.