Jobless rate at all-time low in Kootenai County

Kootenai County’s unemployment rate dipped again in April, hitting a record low of 4.6 percent.

The region’s booming economy helped more than 2,000 local residents find jobs over the past 12 months. In April 2004, Kootenai County’s unemployment rate was 5.9 percent.

In Idaho’s five northernmost counties, the combined unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in April, compared with 5.8 percent a year ago.

The state of Idaho had 4 percent unemployment in April and the national unemployment rate was 5.2 percent.

Boundary County was the only one of the five counties that posted a net loss of jobs. The county had an unemployment rate of 7.3 percent in April. It lost its largest private employer in late March, when CEDU Educational Services closed three schools for troubled kids.

Strength in other areas of Boundary County’s economy, such as tourism and construction, helped temper the job losses, said Kathryn Tacke, a regional labor economist for the state.

Bonner County’s impressive job growth, meanwhile, led to 3.8 percent unemployment in April. Benewah and Shoshone counties’ economies are growing more slowly, but are still enjoying the lowest jobless rates they’ve experienced in decades, Tacke said.