Idaho job growth slows, unemployment still on the decline

The Idaho Department of Labor says preliminary estimates show the state’s unemployment rate decreased slightly in March to 3.5 percent.

The state also saw a slow in job growth to 2.7 percent last month.

Burley Economic Development Director Doug Manning tells The Times-News that he thinks everyone in the state is experiencing a labor force shortage right now. Five of the eight south-central Idaho counties reported that their unemployment rates dropped between February and March, and that isn’t helping employers that are still trying to fill jobs.

Manning says the low rates are a result of ongoing job creation. He says wages are on the way up, and businesses are slowly implementing incentives to attract more talent.

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Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com