Kootenai County unemployment remains at 11.7 percent

Kootenai County's unemployment rate remains unchanged from June to

July at 11.7 percent, according to a report released this morning

by the Idaho Department of Labor. 

The state's rate also remains unchanged at 9.4 percent. 

While the state rate remains three-tenths of a point above the

national rate, it matched Idaho's rate for July 2010, marking the

first month since September 2007 that current rates did not exceed

year-earlier levels.

Benewah County's rate increased from 14.6 to 15 percent.