It's not huge, but state officials are pointing to a germ of good news in the latest economic data: Economic activity in four Idaho metro areas, Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, Pocatello and Idaho Falls, rose in 2008 for the second straight year, according to the latest estimates from teh U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Overall, Idaho's gross state product was up 1.2 percent to $52.7 billion in 2008, from 2007; it had risen 7.3 percent from 2006 to 2007. Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger Madsen called the figures "good news for the stability of much of our economy." The state's largest metro area, the Boise-Nampa area, however, saw a decline in 2008 of nearly 1 percent. That was driven by a slowdown in construction and layoffs in manufacturing, especially in high-tech.

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