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Boundary County employment rates improving |
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September 19, 2014 |
Unemployment figures for Boundary County trended
downward and are improving in the latest numbers
from the Idaho Department of Labor.
Preliminary data for the month of August 2014
show the Boundary County civilian workforce
numbers 4,475 individuals, with 262 unemployed,
giving an unemployment rate of 5.9%, down from
the 6.2% unemployment rate of the previous month
of July 2014. Boundary County's August number of
5.9% is substantially better than August of last
year, when unemployment stood at 9.0%.
Boundary County's jobless rate continues higher
than Idaho's statewide rate of 4.7%. Idaho's
August rate is one-tenth point lower than the
July figure of 4.8%. A year ago, Idaho's
statewide unemployment was significantly higher
at 6.2%.
In nearby counties, Bonner County's unemployment
rate for August was higher than our local rate,
Bonner County being at 6.5%, with their civilian
labor force being 18,721. The Kootenai County
unemployment rate for August was 5.0%
Only eight Idaho counties saw monthly jobless
rates increase between July and August while
seven others posted no change, and the remaining
29 Idaho counties posting improved employment
figures.
The best numbers were posted by Franklin County
(in southern Idaho on the Utah border), with a
jobless rate of 2.5%. This is the third
time in the past five months that Franklin
County has been under 5% on unemployment. The
county with the highest unemployment was
Clearwater County (the Orofino area), whose
jobless rate is 9.1%.
Idaho businesses hired 18,600 workers during
August, almost all to fill existing job
vacancies. Of the 1,500 new jobs Idaho employers
added in August, positions in mining, logging
and construction all generated slightly more
jobs than usual, as did financial services,
business services and restaurants.
Unemployment for the United States nationwide
for August was 6.2%. The Idaho Department of
Labor reports that for nearly 13 years now,
Idaho’s rate has been lower than the national
rate. As it stands now, Boundary County's rate
is also better than the nationwide rate for
August.
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