Panhandle Jobless Rate Falls

The unemployment rate in the Idaho Pan handle slipped to 7.1 percent in July, a 2.3 percent drop since last year.

Many of the recent layoffs in the wood products industry haven’t shown up in the numbers yet, said state labor analyst Kathryn Tacke.

In addition, other areas of the economy are growing, she said.

Excluding wood products, the manufacturing sector has been adding jobs, particularly in the area of electronics, Tacke said. Computer-related jobs are growing, along with the retail and medical sectors.

The construction of the Cogentrix plant in Rathdrum is also generating construction jobs, Tacke said.

July unemployment rates, by county are: Kootenai, 6.1 percent; Bonner, 7.5 percent; Boundary, 8.3 percent; Shoshone, 10.6 percent; Benewah, 11.3 percent.