Idaho job numbers remain ‘steady’ into the new year

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Employers across the U.S. added 311,000 jobs in February, a sign the labor market remains solid even as the federal reserve tries to slow economic growth.

In Idaho, the unemployment rate is down to 2.7%, as of January.

Non-farm jobs increased by 4,600 to 842,000.

Out of Idaho’s six metropolitan statistical areas, Pocatello saw the greatest increase in non-farm job gains at 7.3%. - While Twin Falls came in fifth at 1.6%.

“For example, this year our year-to-year was 1.6 percent job growth, which is kind of a more long-term look, so the short-term snippets, especially in the wintertime, are a little unreliable, it’s kind of what’s going on in the economy,” said Seth Harrington from the Idaho Department of Labor.

Idaho’s labor force is growing at a slower pace than the civilian population. Statistics showed it decreased by point one percent.

We asked if the age demographics of those employed changed at all in the past year or so.

“And we do know that Idaho is aging and our region both have an aging population, so our average ageing is increasing year over year. So, I don’t have a concrete number for you, but we have a strong guess that our population is aging,” said Harrington.

Harrington also says his department is working to create some new surveys to address the issue of COVID shifting.

He said that more people are migrating into Idaho and his department is seeing that as very strong growth.

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