Boundary County and Shoshone County are tied at the fifth highest unemployment rate out of 43 counties in Idaho.

According to Alivia Body Idaho’s regional Labor Economist, the unemployment rate was forecasted in  Dec. 2009 at 16.4 percent.

This number is .2 percent higher than reported in November of last year.

The  unemployment rate was 11.3 percent in Dec. of 2008

It is calculated that approximately 750 people in Boundary County were unemployed last month 50 people more than reported in November 2009.   It was reported in Dec. 2008 that 480 people were without employment.

“It is possible the hike from November to December (2009) of 50 people came from Welco’s closure,” said Body.  This is only speculation as the number may even go higher since people may be living off severance, holiday and vacation pay.”  “We will have a better idea at the end of January just how the Welco closure affected the area,” she said.

Adams County near Boise has the highest unemployment rate at  24.3 percent and a population of 3,546 people.