Job-friendly
If you were looking for work last year, the Inland Northwest was a great place to be. And the job market here is expected to continue to grow in 2007, although at a slower rate.
In 2006, the number of jobs in Spokane County grew 4.5 percent over the previous year. Neighboring Kootenai County created even more new jobs proportionately, with about 5.5 percent growth.
That means the Inland Northwest was creating jobs at twice the national average, said Grant Forsyth, an economist at Eastern Washington University.
And the outlook remains sunny for 2007, say trend watchers.
“I expect job growth is going to be strong – stronger than most people think,” said Randy Barcus, a regional economist for Avista Corp.
“It will continue to be very broad-based growth, as much in professional positions as in skilled and unskilled labor positions, just as it has been in the last several years,” said Barcus.
His predictions, he believes, are bolstered by the enormous investments big-box stores are making throughout the two-county region.
“It’s a signal they know they’re likely to have enough customers in their stores,” Barcus said.
Jeff Zahir, a Washington state labor economist, said the need for employees will span the job spectrum this year.
“We’re predicting a 2.5 percent job growth rate in Spokane County in 2007. It’s not just going to happen in one sector. It’s going to be happening in manufacturing, transportation, high tech” and other industries, Zahir said.
“Because of our geographic location, we’re looking at investments in transportation, including trucking, warehousing, air and cargo shipping,” he said. “And construction really isn’t slowing down that much. We’re waiting for the other shoe to drop and it just isn’t happening.”
A winter survey by the Manpower Co. shows 23 percent of Spokane area employers say they’re planning to add more people to their payrolls from January through March.
“For the coming quarter, job prospects (in the Spokane area) appear best in construction, wholesale and retail trade, finance, insurance, real estate and services,” according to the employment outlook survey released in mid-December.
Meanwhile, the hot jobs in Kootenai County will be in the retail and services sector, health care and leisure and hospitality, predicted Kathryn Tacke, regional economist with Idaho Commerce and Labor.
Rising incomes and continued population growth will stimulate new jobs in the retail and services areas, she said. New and expanding health care facilities in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Sandpoint will create 400 new jobs. And the continued popularity of such tourist attractions as Silverwood Theme Park, with its enlarged water park, an expanded Coeur d’Alene Casino, the popular Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the year-end opening of Cabela’s will create 400 new positions in leisure and hospitality.
The combination of job growth and low unemployment will bode well for those already in the work force, said Barcus.
“I think we’ll see some wage increases that will exceed the cost of inflation. And we’ll see workers get promotional-type increases. If you’re not happy with your job, this is a signal to start looking around because maybe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,” he said.