North Idaho adds 6,600 jobs during past year; jobless rate off

COEUR d’ALENE – Fewer North Idaho residents are out of work this summer.

The number of Idaho Panhandle residents with jobs increased 7.3 percent over the past 12 months, outpacing state and national employment growth.

More than 6,600 net new jobs were created in the five northern counties from July 2004 to July 2005, according to state statistics. Populous Kootenai County experienced the strongest job growth in the Panhandle, adding nearly 5,000 new jobs. Rural Benewah County had the smallest growth, with 58 new jobs created.

Statewide, the number of jobs increased by 5.2 percent during the 12-month period ending in July. The nation’s employment rate grew by 1.2 percent during the same period.

Unemployment rates dropped in all Panhandle counties except Boundary County, which had 9.3 percent unemployment in July. The high rate reflects the spring closure of CEDU boarding schools, which was Boundary County’s largest employer, according to Kathryn Tacke, regional economist for Idaho’s Commerce and Labor Department. If the schools were still operating, Boundary County’s rate would be around 6 percent, she said.

July unemployment rates in other counties were: Kootenai, 4.4 percent; Bonner, 5.4 percent; Shoshone, 8.9 percent; and Benewah, 9.7 percent.