Looking for work? Head to Idaho.

The state is projecting a 1.3% growth in employment, more than four times the national forecast, according to a statement from Gov. Brad Little’s office. Of those jobs, the healthcare and construction industries are expected to grow the most at 2.4% and 1.9% respectively.

“We have now outpaced the nation in employment growth for 11 consecutive years, and this forecast shows that momentum is expected to continue,” Little said.

The National Association of Realtors says Baby Boomers account for the largest portion of home buyers and sellers, making jobs in healthcare and construction important areas of growth.

“(Idaho) is still short on healthcare that any reinforcements help,” Heritage Health CEO Mike Baker said. “We're struggling the most right now with recruiting dentists to our communities, and then physicians, but we feel good that people are coming.”

With almost 34,000 new healthcare jobs expected to come to Idaho by 2034, Baker says getting them into underserved portions of North Idaho will be paramount.

“The hardest is recruiting providers that want to practice in St. Maries and Kellogg,” Baker said. “They have beautiful communities, just more rural.”

Baker estimated that Heritage Health has seen over 1,000 new patients this year compared to last. As Idaho grows, those new patients will need places to live. 

Clint Davenport, founder of residential construction company Onyx & Oak Homes, says that he’s seeing the growth firsthand.

“There’s an influx of people that are wanting to come to work for us,” Davenport said. “When I do a job posting, I have hundreds of people that apply and a lot of people with great experience.”

Idaho’s construction industry is also forecasted to see strong employment growth (+14,700) as a result of an increasing population reducing inventory, raising prices and creating a high demand for new building construction, the release said.

The North Idaho Building Contractors Association says there are ample opportunities for tradespeople in the region.

“The largest challenge for the industry is a gap in available skilled workers,” NIBCA President Jessica Cargile wrote in an email. “That’s why NIBCA works to promote educational programs and provide scholarships to those young students entering the trades. Opportunity for strong, stable and satisfying careers with solid living wages is abundantly available in our industry.”

Davenport says Onyx & Oak Homes has four full-time employees and utilizes 40 different subcontractors for things like painting, framing, HVAC and electric. In the next few years, they hope to expand to up to 10 employees and expand the number of subcontractors.

“Right now, we’re doing four to five custom homes a year,” Davenport said. “In the next five to seven years, we'll probably be at the point where we're doing 15 to 20 houses a year.”

There are obstacles potentially hindering construction and healthcare growth.

“Material costs are really high right now, labor costs are high and interest rates are up,” Davenport said. “Sometimes clients are surprised or shocked when they are given an estimate of what it's going to cost to build their dream.”

The state’s strong growth projections are partly based on Idaho’s relatively high population growth. With population gains mostly stagnant across the country, individual states like Idaho are finding success by attracting new residents from other, higher-cost states, the press release said.

From 2010-2020, Idaho ranked second behind Utah in population growth. For the rest of the coming decade, the department projects population growth to remain high for Idaho, driving a significant demand in a variety of sectors, especially new home construction, healthcare and consumer services.

"Idaho’s success comes from the hard work of Idahoans and the strength of our businesses and communities," Little said.

    An aerial view of a home Clint Davenport and his company Onyx & Oak Homes are building in Post Falls.
  

    Heritage Health CEO Mike Baker