North Idaho job growth continues
Now hiring and help wanted signs can be found on nearly every corner in North Idaho, such as this sign outside from Liberty Tax. Statistics from the Idaho Department of Labor show the city has had a workforce increase of three percent over the past year.
COEUR d'ALENE — Job growth is up across the state and the region, according to statistics from the Idaho Department of Labor.
According to regional economist with the Idaho Department of Labor, Sam Wolkenhauer, Coeur d'Alene has seen a 3% gain in non-farm jobs.
Statistics show non-farm jobs in Coeur d’Alene rose from 73,600 in December 2022 to 76,000 in December 2023.
Wolkenhauer said Idaho is expected to reach nearly 900,000 total jobs by 2025, and the regional economy shows no signs of slowing.
"The department expects the growth trends to continue," Wolkenhauer said via email.
Industries seeing the fastest job growth include construction, health care, self-employment, public utilities and information, according to the Department of Labor.
On a national level, Idaho ranked second in terms of year-to-year job growth, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Statewide non-farm employment currently sits 11.5% higher than the pre-COVID baseline, Wolkenhauer said.
Nationally, employment numbers have only increased by 3% in comparison. The current numbers for Idaho are in line with the state's historic statistics as well.
"The growth we have been seeing is consistent with Idaho’s long-term growth pattern," Wolkenhauer said. "We saw robust job creation throughout the 2010s right up until the COVID pandemic."
"The job numbers from recent years show that Idaho has returned to its growth path, meaning the pandemic did not change our long-term pattern of growth," he added.
A big part of the job creation is the population growth the region is experiencing, Wolkenhauer said, and urban areas like Coeur d'Alene are growing faster than rural counties in the state.
Statistics show that over 70% of Idaho's population lives in urban areas. To top it off, most of that population is a younger demographic, and the urban population has grown three times faster than the rural population over the last decade.
The Department of Labor breaks demographics down into three age categories, and 81% of people ages 25-54 are actively in the state's workforce.
There is some concern because only 64% of people ages 55-64 are still working. That number drops to only 19% when considering the population over 65.
Rural areas are losing younger workers to cities, leaving the aging workforce to fulfill the needs of those rural communities. Labor Department statistics show some of the rural counties have a large number of workers who commute to city jobs.
While some of the more rural communities may struggle, the state economy is in a positive standing.
"We continue to see economic strength in the state," Wolkenhauer said. "We have a low unemployment rate, and have maintained a 1.2% job growth rate through times of economic hardship."
Wolkenhauer
