North Idaho jobless rate at 15-year low

North Idaho’s unemployment rates have dipped to levels not seen since 1989, a result of robust job growth over the past nine months.

In September, Kootenai County’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.2 percent, down from 6.9 percent a year ago, according to state figures. Idaho’s five northern counties posted a 6.9 percent jobless rate in September.

For other counties, the rates were Benewah, 9.8 percent; Bonner, 7.1 percent; Boundary, 7.7 percent; and Shoshone, 9.8 percent.

It’s the first year in more than a decade that the region’s unemployment rate has consistently registered below 7 percent, said Kathryn Tacke, economist for the state Commerce & Labor Department in Coeur d’Alene.

Since the beginning of the year, the region added more than 7,000 jobs, Tacke said. Every county in the Idaho Panhandle gained jobs, and the growth occurred across a wide array of industries.

“Construction has been a really big factor,” Tacke said.

New subdivisions and commercial buildings led to related job gains in real estate, finance and insurance, she said. North Idaho’s manufacturing sector is also adding employees after a two-year downturn. Employment in tourism, health care and call centers is on the upswing as well.

Even Idaho’s resource industries – mining and timber – added jobs this year. Higher metals prices and higher lumber and plywood prices boosted mine and mill employment, which helped outlying areas like Shoshone and Benewah counties, Tacke said.

The majority of the region’s new jobs are entry-level positions. However, “We also been fairly fortunate in the number of professional and technical positions added,” Tacke said.

On the horizon, Tacke said recent downturns in prices for lumber and plywood could threaten recent job gains in the wood products industry. China’s rapid economic expansion is expected to cool off, reducing world demand for construction materials. Some analysts are also predicting lower housing starts next year.