Thursday, December 18, 2025
32.0°F

Workers in demand in Kootenai County

DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 8 months AGO
by DEVIN WEEKS
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | April 11, 2024 1:06 AM

COEUR d'ALENE — The "help wanted" signs fill business windows throughout Kootenai County as the region and the state continue to experience low unemployment numbers.

The county unemployment rate was 4% in January, according to the Idaho Department of Labor, just a hair above the 3.8% national unemployment rate measured by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics in March. Idaho's unemployment rate was 3.3% in February.

Low unemployment means hiring challenges for some industries.

"We're pretty much always looking for our field laborers," All Wall Contracting, Inc. operations assistant Georgia Dettelbach said Wednesday.

Based in Post Falls, All Wall provides services such as metal stud framing, drywall, insulation, roof coatings and more. 

Dettelbach said All Wall fluctuates between just over 100 employees to about 150 employees depending on the time of year, but it is always in search of qualified workers. Wages for those jobs range from $18 per hour with benefits to about $35 with benefits, she said.

All Wall Contracting will be among 80 employers that will participate in the Idaho Department of Labor's hiring event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Real Life Ministries, 1860 N. Cecil Road, Post Falls.

Kootenai County has just over 1,500 job postings at this time, according to the Department of Labor. Hospitals, restaurants, insurance carriers, accommodation and retail are among the industries most in need of employees, according to a Wednesday news release from the Department of Labor.

Positions open for recruitment include cooks, nurses, tellers, machinists, servers, field painters, teachers, drywall finishers, event coordinators and more. According to indeed.com, cooks in Idaho make $14.79 per hour, nurses make $35.07 per hour, teachers make $16.10 per hour, drywall finishers make $24.77 per hour and event coordinators make $19.74, all on average.

Job seekers are encouraged to bring updated resumes to the hiring event. Visit labor.idaho.gov/publications and search under "Job search publications" for job search and interview tips.

ARTICLES BY DEVIN WEEKS

Hayden Canyon students work with nonprofit to build beds for youths in need
December 17, 2025 1:08 a.m.

Hayden Canyon students work with nonprofit to build beds for youths in need

Hayden Canyon students work with nonprofit to build beds for youths in need

Wearing safety gloves and magenta headphones with a galaxy design, Autumn Parks rested a long piece of lumber on a picnic table as she smoothed out the edges. “I’m sanding it down so nobody gets splinters when they go to bed," she said. As an American Heritage Girl, Autumn already had some experience working with lumber. “I made a staff this August, a walking stick, and it taught me how to sand,” she said. “I thought, 'I can sand, let’s do that!” The Hayden Canyon Charter seventh grader shared how she thought it was really cool that her school was building beds for kids in need.

Steve Casey left his mark as dedicated educator, friend, family man
December 14, 2025 1:08 a.m.

Steve Casey left his mark as dedicated educator, friend, family man

Steve Casey left his mark as dedicated educator, friend, family man

Solid leadership. A dedicated educator. A friend to everyone. Steve Casey lived a big, beautiful life and embraced every single person who came across his path. "Children, men, women, students, it didn't matter their walk of life," Casey's daughter, Tara Nelson, said Friday. "His arms were wide open and his heart was open to everyone."

Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday
December 12, 2025 1:09 a.m.

Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday

Controversial AI exhibit at Art Spirit Gallery runs through Dec. 24, community event Saturday

Mike Baker installed his exhibit at the Art Spirit Gallery hoping it would generate conversations in the community. And wow, did it ever. "No Permission Needed," featuring pieces created using artificial intelligence, debuted Nov. 14 at the downtown gallery. It quickly became a subject of social media discussion and scrutiny in the arts community and the community at large for the use of AI and female experiences being brought into focus by a male, with some accusing Baker of misogyny, art theft or posing as an artist while others defended the intention behind the project and the exploration of a new technology-based medium. "At the end of the day it’s focused on women’s health, all rooted in the work we’ve done around endometriosis and tied to the experiences people have shared with me and that I’ve seen walking through the health care system,” Baker said Thursday. “I was just trying to capture all of that within it."