When it comes to the health of the economy, most Americans rate it at a constant state of nausea.

In North Idaho, some are giving it a reading somewhere around Asian bird flu.

"I think I'm going to have to leave," said Rita Peck, who has been job hunting for a year in Coeur d'Alene. "Basically, the job market is zero."

U.S. consumer confidence rose slightly in July, but is far from a comfort level, according to a national monthly survey.

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, measuring how Americans feel about short-term business conditions and the job market, inched up to 59.5 in July, from 57.6 in June.

That would appear optimistic, except a level of 90 is what is considered a vital economy.

Those feelings appear to be reflected in Kootenai County, where many said they expect a long wait before jobs and disposable income are easy to come by.

Peck, who relocated to Coeur d'Alene from California to care for her mother, said she applies everywhere, but is usually turned away for being overqualified.

"I'm at an age where they don't want to hire me," the 62-year-old said. "They want the young people they can offer $8 an hour to."

Varsel Jarnagin's job search is crucial, he said. After getting out of prison, he's trying to get back on his feet and find a home, a car, and, of course, a secure means to live.

After 30 days of filing job applications and visiting the Department of Labor, nothing.

"I'll take anything right now," he said of where he's applying. "It's pretty discouraging."

Conserving finances is high priority for Holly Johnston, who hasn't heard back on job applications since she lost her nursing assistant job over an injury.

No Internet, no cable, no extravagances, she said, so she and her husband can provide for their 3 and 4-year-olds.

"Diapers and food, that comes first," the Post Falls woman said.

She doesn't have high hopes the market will improve.

"If you get your hopes up, things are more likely to come crashing down on you," she said. "The less hope you have, the better."

Nicole Thiel and Rebecca Hasz of Coeur d'Alene are employed, but still visited four different stores on Tuesday to find the best deals.

They hoofed it, to save on gas.

"We have the federal government wanting us to spend, spend, spend, to help us get out of the recession," Hasz said. "In the same respect, everything costs so much, the ability to spend isn't there."

Thiel agreed, adding that most dollars are committed to the rising expenses of gas and groceries.

"We can't get out of the grocery without spending less than $40," she said. "Our income is going down, and the cost of living is exceedingly going up."

Some see a light at the end of the recession.

The county's 11 percent unemployment could start to ebb soon, said Steve Griffitts, president of Jobs Plus economic development corporation.

There is still an influx of new residents, he explained.

"As more people are moving in, the housing market demand will increase," he said. "That's a big economic push, because most of what happened to us is construction related."

Over the past year, he added, manufacturing jobs increased 10.9 percent, and health care jobs 14.1 percent.

"There's a demand for manufacturing, and a demand for skilled labor," he said.

There are other signs of recovery, reported Alivia Body, regional economist with the Idaho Department of Labor,

County businesses posted 2,890 job openings in the first quarter this year, 34.4 percent more than the same time in 2010.

"Anecdotally, it seems like there are more job openings this year than last," Body stated.

And there are more businesses opening than shuttering these days, she noted.

"The gains this year far exceed the gains from last year," she reported.

That's probably because of business from tourism, and the support local businesses give each other, said Shawna Leonard, owner of Sweet B Cupcakes.

After opening three months ago, she said, her Coeur d'Alene business is thriving.

"I was terrified coming into it, because you never know," she said. "But we're doing better than I had expected."

With all the advantages Kootenai County has, she said, surely it will pull out of these economic doldrums.

"I think it's managing," she said. "I believe that it's better than the rest of the country, for sure."

Help's available

n Need help finding a job? Attend a free job search workshop at the Idaho Department of Labor. To sign up, call: 457-8789