Kootenai County's jobless rate rose four-tenths of a percent to 7.8 percent in June, according to a report released on Thursday by the Idaho Department of Labor.

Alivia Metts, regional economist for IDL's Post Falls office, said she believes more people entering the labor force contributed to the increase in the rate.

"There was an upturn in the labor force as more people gained confidence in the labor market," she said.

Total nonfarm employment increased by about 700, Metts said.

A year ago, the local jobless rate was 8.7 percent.

Idaho's rate increased two-tenths of a percent to 6.4 despite strong growth in nonfarm jobs, while the national rate remained unchanged at 7.6 percent. Idaho's rate has been below the national rate for 141 months, nearly 12 years.

Coeur d'Alene's rate increased from 7 percent in May to 7.5 percent in June, while Post Falls' decreased from 8.1 to 7.7.

Benewah County's rate increased from 9 percent in May to 10.8 in June.

It was the second straight month Idaho's unemployment was up following 21 months during which the rate steadily fell more than two percentage points.

The number of workers off the job increased nearly 1,900 to more than 49,000, the highest total since last November.

The number of employed dropped 400 to under 724,000, the lowest level since last October.

"The surge in total unemployment in part reflected an increase of more than 1,400 people entering labor force in June and looking for jobs," the report states.

It was the second month in a row that the labor force has expanded, but the total at under 773,300 is only 200 higher than in June 2012 despite the addition of 18,000 jobs during the intervening 12 months.

Employers in nearly all sectors expanded payrolls beyond the five-year average from May to June, adding 8,300 jobs. That increase was offset by greater than normal declines in state and local education employment to result in a net gain of 5,000 jobs between May and June.

The only major sectors performing below the five-year average were mining, information, private education, health care and hotels and motels.

Overall, Idaho's nonfarm jobs estimated at 646,500 were 2.8 percent ahead of June 2012. Total employment includes not only workers who hold down those nonfarm job but also tens of thousands who are self-employed.

The essentially flat employment and labor force statistics over the past eight to 10 months in the face of year-over-year job growth exceeding the national expansion may indicate continued caution among Idaho businesses about the future of the economy, the report states.

While Idaho jobs increased 2.3 percent in the past year compared to 1.6 percent nationally, the Current Population Survey found an average of 170,000 of Idaho's employed workers held part-time jobs - 23 percent of total employment - during the 12 months through June. The survey also found that more than 33,000 workers had those part-time jobs because they could not find full-time work.