Idaho unemployment rate in October holds steady

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in October remained steady for the fourth consecutive month at 2.9% .

It marks almost two years that Idaho’s unemployment rate has been at or under 3%, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.

Seasonal nonfarm jobs grew by 2.2% from October 2018, representing a gain of 16,400 jobs in professional and business services, and financial activities.

Idaho nonfarm jobs decreased by 3,000 positions from September to October, bringing the state’s total to more than 757,300 jobs. The information and trade, and transportation and utilities sectors gained a combined 500 jobs. The natural resources sector remained unchanged.

More than 9,464 of Idaho’s 28,019 online job listings in October were classified as “hard to fill” health care jobs, such as physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, occupational and physical therapists, and support positions, according to The Conference Board, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

Coeur d’Alene added more than 300 jobs in October. Boise, Idaho Falls and Lewiston lost a combined total of 2,200 jobs last month.

The national unemployment rate was 3.6% in October.