Idaho's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held at 3.8 percent in November –- the same rate reported every month since July.
Employment increased by 1,500 to 783,800, absorbing an additional 1,200 people who joined the state’s labor force -- and reducing the number of unemployed Idahoans by 300 to 30,600, according to an Idaho Labor Department news release.
Month-to-month, Idaho’s total non-farm payroll jobs grew by 3,700 to 700,200 -– exceeding 700,000 for the first time in the series history, the release stated.
Gains in natural resources, manufacturing, trade and transportation, information, financial activities, professional and business services, government and other services exceeded the number of jobs shed in construction, education and health, and leisure and hospitality.
Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped by three-tenths of a point to 4.6 percent.
Idaho’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 64 percent while nationally, the rate dropped slightly to 62.7 percent.
According to the Conference Board, a Washington, D.C., think tank, there were about 22,700 online postings for Idaho jobs in November. Of those, 4,600 were classified by department analysts as hard-to-fill. Health care jobs accounted for 29 percent and included physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, occupational and physical therapists, and support positions. By volume, registered nurses and truck drivers maintained the first and second spots for the largest number of hard-to-fill jobs.
Twenty-three of Idaho’s 44 counties had unemployment rates above the state rate. Madison County continued to experience the lowest unemployment rate at 2.4 percent. Six counties experienced rates above 6 percent: Clearwater (8.0 percent), Shoshone (7.2 percent), Adams (6.7 percent), Benewah (6.6 percent), Lewis (6.3 percent) and Lemhi (6.1 percent), the State Labor Department said.
