Idaho unemployment rate declines

Idaho’s labor market maintained its low unemployment rate in the latest job numbers released, a slight improvement mirroring national trends.

According to a Monday news release from the Idaho Department of Labor, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 3.6%, down slightly from February’s rate of 3.7% and matching the lowest adjusted unemployment rate the state observed in the last year.

Each of Idaho’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) saw nonfarm job growth in March, with Pocatello seeing the largest increase at 1.3%.

As for year-over-year nonfarm job growth, the Idaho MSAs with the most growth were Lewiston at 1.4%, Coeur d’Alene at 1.3%, Twin Falls at 1.2% and Boise at 1%. Conversely, Pocatello decreased by 1.5% and Idaho Falls decreased 0.6% in the same period, the release said.

The slight change in Idaho comes as the percentage of individuals aged 16 or older and looking for work in March fell to 62.4%, down 0.3% from February. At the same time, the labor force as a whole decreased by 0.2% or 2,286 workers, the release said. 

Total employment in Idaho decreased by 1,921, 0.2%, and unemployment decreased by 365, or 1%. Idaho’s nonfarm jobs had a net increase of 210, or 0.2%. The sector with the highest month-over-month job growth was Administrative, Support and Waste Management Services, which saw a 3% improvement. 

The national unemployment rate, while higher than Idaho’s at 4.3%, similarly saw a 0.1% decrease in March. At the national level, the number of unemployed individuals decreased by 332,000 of 7.2 million while total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 178,000 of 158.6 million.