Regional news

Regional labor market information

Figure 1.

Southwestern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data	Dec-25 (P)	Nov-25 (R)	Dec-24 (B)
Civilian labor force	497,593	494,453	491,225
Total employment	480,424	477,596	473,414
Unemployment	17,169	16,857	17,811
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.5%	3.4%	3.6%
Source: Idaho Department of Labor	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

Since last year, the civilian labor force grew by 1.3% in southwestern Idaho, making it the state’s fastest growing region. Additionally, the region’s labor force grew four times faster than the state, which experienced a growth rate of .3%. The unemployed in southwestern Idaho grew by 1.9% over the month, reinforcing the concept that there is a gap of time that occurs between relocation to southwestern Idaho or the re-entry into the labor force by active job searching and the actual hire. No unemployment rate releases will occur until April 2026 due to the benchmarking of data.

Figure 2.

Southwestern Idaho job postings	Jan-26	Jan-25
Unique postings	11,587	10,750
Days posted	10	11
Number of employers	2,250	2,676
Median hourly wage	$31.20	$29.14
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	54%	48%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

Since January 2025, the advertised wage increased by 7%, while the number of unique postings increased by 8%. The number of employers posting openings decreased by 16% (-426 companies overall).

Figure 3.

Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho	Postings, Jan-26	Postings, Jan-25
Registered Nurses	305	280
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	234	166
Customer Service Representatives	187	155
Retail Salespersons	171	203
Physicians	162	48
Trailer-Tractor Truck Drivers	161	95
Software Developers	150	111
Business Development and Sales Managers	113	55
Project Managers	106	97
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	100	132
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

Figure 4.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho	Postings, Jan-26	Postings, Jan-25
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	862	698
Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	359	225
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages	319	595
Engineering Services	317	341
Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing	291	98
Other General Government Support	237	221
Limited-Service Restaurants	227	190
Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services	169	75
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (Except Convenience Stores)	167	218
Administrative, Management and General Management Consulting Services	151	142
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

Figure 5.

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southwestern Idaho	Median duration, Jan-26 (days)	Unique postings, Jan-26
Restaurant and Food Service Managers	23	75
Lawyers	17	48
Stocking Clerks	16	44
Nurse Practitioners	16	45
Civil Engineers	14	50
Teacher Assistants	13	49
Logitician and Supply Chain Specialists	13	48
Farm, Nursery and Greenhouse Workers	13	45
Property, Real Estate and Community Managers	13	50
Merchandisers	13	55
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

Regional news

Ada County

• West Ada School District trustees unanimously approved the Enhanced Campus Safety Plan which calls for immediate hiring of ‘Campus Sentinels’ across its 59 campuses. The policy allows conceal-carry firearms by its Sentinels who must be certified by Idaho’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and in good standing. This includes either current or retired officers who still must pass background checks, fingerprinting, criminal record checks, psychological evaluations and medical examinations. An additional 114 hours of training will be required beyond POST.  The use of force is allowed in cases of imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. There will be wearable technology, allowing the group to press a button to alert safety teams or initiate a lockdown. Source: KTVB News

• Kuna was named to USA Today’s list of national boomtowns. The designation is based on rapid growth over the last two decades. Kuna ranked 11th on the list of 49 cities experiencing prosperity, economic diversity and successfully attracting individuals and families. It was estimated by Kuna’s economic development administrator that an average of 1,000 new residents move to Kuna annually, with an average growth rate of 5%. Source: Idaho Business Review

• The JUMP building in downtown Boise started installation of a steel canopy on its rooftop to shield the five-story slide from sun that can make it intolerable in the summer heat. The rainbow sail cloth will add a splash of color during the day and at night accompanying the changing seasonal and holiday themes in and outside the facility. JUMP is a three-acre public park that also has an outdoor amphitheater, a structure to climb on, meeting spaces, various studios, free public Wi-Fi, a collection of vintage tractors and farm equipment. The construction is expected to wrap up in early March. Source: Idaho Statesman

• The U.S. Air Force announced a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for replacement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II aka Warthog with the newer, more versatile F-16 Fighting Falcon at Gowen Field in Boise. Public comments are being accepted through March 15. The Idaho Air National Guard has operated a fighter aircraft at Gowen Field for about 80 years. Source: KTVB News

• Saint Alphonsus Health System, owned by Trinity Health, announced an estimated $450 million expansion impacting both Meridian and Nampa facilities. The expansion is an effort to ensure that most families are within 15 minutes of a Saint Alphonsus primary and specialty care location. The existing Nampa campus has been at capacity for years and will more than double its size, adding 254,000 square feet to its existing facility with 64 new beds and additional space for future growth. The Meridian addition will add 80,000 square feet consisting of offices for pediatrics, urgent care, cardiology and a variety of specialty care. The care provider estimates approximately 250-350 new staff will be hired in 2028 when construction is complete. Source: Idaho Press

• West Ada School District rebalanced its school boundaries in advance of the new Independence Elementary School opening this fall. With the new boundaries, the elementary school will start its first school year with between 530 and 550 students. About half will be diverted from Star Elementary with 10% coming from Eagle Elementary School. New developments along with birthrate data will comprise the remaining 40% of students. Source: Idaho Press

• The Idaho National Guard has cut its tuition assistance program by 29% or $185,900 this year to deal with state budget cuts. This assistance was promised by statute to soldiers and airmen as an inducement to enlist. With more cuts on the way, the leadership is concerned that recruitment will be harder while existing military members may feel a pact has been broken. Source: Idaho Capital Sun

• Renovations have started at Discovery Park at Lucky Peak State Park north of Boise. Construction on the Diversion Reservoir will control erosion and provide easier access to the water. A kayak and paddleboard boat ramp is planned in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act paddle craft launching. The renovation should be completed in April, just in time for the recreation season. Lucky Peak State Park was a joint project by the state of Idaho and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was established in 1956. Source: Idaho Press

• Tiny homes are being built by West Ada School District Career Technical Education students for veterans that are involved in a farm or ranching operation. The partnership between the Idaho Veterans Chamber of Commerce, the Associated General Contractors, career technical education and the West Ada School District has been a win-win for all. About 50 students have worked on the trailers gaining in-demand construction skills that could be applied to a career after high school. Meanwhile, veterans are the recipient of potential housing for themselves or for workforce. The tiny homes measure eight feet by 20 feet and are built on a trailer with the flexibility of moving the tiny home. They are built to have water and electrical utilities hooked up, therefore, are heated without any tanks. There is a kitchen, sleeping area and bathroom just like any home and the cost is estimated at $40,000. There have been 20 applications for the two homes that have been built with awards occurring this spring. Source: Idaho Business Review

• Hotel Renegade was named the best hotel in Boise and fourth best in Idaho according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report. Other top-ranked hotels in Boise were No. 2 Inn at 500 Capitol, No. 3 The SPARROW, No. 4 Hotel 43 and No. 5 The Grove Hotel. Statewide, Shore Lodge in McCall was awarded Idaho’s No. 1 spot. Hospitality service, design and amenities were integral to achievement. Source: Idaho Business Review

Canyon County

• The Nampa City Council denied a 276-acre planned community development that would bring single-family homes, multi-family housing, duplexes and businesses to south Nampa supplanting farm acres. The build-out would take up to 20 years, according to the development team, still the council was not convinced that it was a good fit for the area while public comment brought up density, fire and water concerns. The council voted it down 4-2. Source: Idaho Press

Elmore County

• National lawmakers approved the appropriation of $6.4 million towards building a second elementary school at the Mountain Home Air Force Base. The money is sourced to a national Community Project Funding effort and was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Source: Mountain Home News

Owyhee County

• Housing data from Intermountain Multiple Listing Service for 2025 compared to 2024 shows Owyhee County sold 99 homes in 2025, a decrease of 7.5%. These homes were a shorter time on market — 52 days versus 59 in 2024. The median price sold decreased by 1.8% to $368,000. Source: Intermountain Multiple Listing Service

Valley County

• The Payette National Forest started its process of hiring seasonal employees for the summer recreation season. There are about 20 seasonal positions available with duties that include recreation and visitor services, trail and facility maintenance and resource management. These temporary jobs can be a steppingstone to permanent natural resource careers. Interested applicants can apply on USAJOBS.gov. Source: The Star-News

• Tamarack Resort was the site for Idaho’s portion of the national 50 Survivor Challenge. This event is in celebration of Survivor’s 50th anniversary on television which involved a scavenger hunt to find the hidden idol. Those winners across the 50 states are then entered into a contest to win the grand prize consisting of a trip to see the 50th season’s live finale in Los Angeles, California. Source: The Star-News

• McCall’s Idaho Sled Dog Challenge has been discontinued after three consecutive years of canceling the largest legs of the race, the 100-mile and the 300-mile races. Two years were attributed to lack of snow, while last year there was avalanche danger. In the past as an Iditarod qualifier, the race attracted participants from as far away as Canada, Alaska and New Hampshire. Source: The Star-News

Washington County

• According to statistics from the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service, the median sale price increased by 9.5% from 2024, adding $30,000 on average to the home values. There were 128 homes sold in 2025, falling 20 short of 2024. It took an additional eight days on the market to sell homes in 2025. Source: Intermountain Multiple Listing Service

Regional ground breakings

• Zions Bank hosted a ceremony commemorating the start of construction on a larger bank branch in New Plymouth. Zions CEO Nate Callister spoke of its commitment to rural communities. Zions Bank has been serving businesses and farms for more than 150 years with 25 Idaho branches and headquarters in nearby Utah. Source: Idaho Business Review

• The city of Meridian broke ground on a new community center estimated to cost approximately $21.4 million. The location is near Settlers Park baseball field complex and will house a reception area, a gym with a stage, fitness rooms, classrooms, meeting rooms and an outdoor patio. Meridian’s Parks and Recreation Department along with Meridian Fire Department’s outreach work will operate out of the 26,000 square foot building. It replaces a downtown structure that was built in the early ‘60’s when Meridian’s population was 2,000 people. It is not adequate for Meridian’s needs with a current population estimate of almost 140,000 people. Source: Idaho Statesman

Regional openings

• The Pioneer Lodge at Bogus Basin reopened to the public after an extensive $5 million renovation. The lodge added an elevator, heated pavers and snow covers all ensuring the lodge is more accessible to the community of adaptive skiers and visitors. There is updated indoor and outdoor seating, more windows and the Firewater Saloon is a new addition to the second level offering both food and drink. Source: CBS2 News

• Ziggi’s Coffee opened its first Idaho shop in Meridian with a drive-thru operation only. Its headquarters are in Longmont, Colorado. Ziggi’s Coffee was founded in 2004 and now has 110 locations in 23 states. It received second place nationally in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for best drive-thru coffee. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Idaho Fitness Factory opened its 12th gym in Idaho on the west side of Boise offering 24-hour access. It has plans to develop two more gyms, including one in Kuna and in Star. The locally owned company has been in business since 2011 having been acquired by Alturas Ventures in 2022. Source: Idaho Business Review

• Coa Cantina hosted its grand opening in Boise’s Harris Ranch development. It serves tacos and libations in a casual environment with live music, bar seating and multiple televisions. It is owned by the restaurant group Torro, which also owns and operates Barbacoa Grill, Coa de Jima and Coa Del Mar. Source: Idaho Business Review

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This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY26 as part of the Workforce Information grant (41%) and state/nonfederal funds (59%) totaling $860,595.

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