Regional news

Regional labor market information

Figure 1.

Eastern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data	Jun-26 (P)	May-26 (R)	Jun-25 (B)
Civilian labor force	132,248	133,666	134,419
Total employment	4,363	4,775	4,208
Unemployment	127,885	128,891	130,211
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.3%	3.6%	3.1%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

• Labor force estimates for June 2026 from the Idaho Department of Labor’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics have both total over-the-month employment and unemployment decreasing in the nine-county eastern region. Seasonally adjusted, June preliminary estimates have labor force participants decreasing by 1,418 people, with 412 fewer employed people and 1,006 fewer unemployed people. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the region decreased to 3.3% over the month, but 0.2% greater than June 2025.

Figure 2.

Eastern Idaho job postings	Jun-26	Jun-25
Unique postings	5,177	4,065
Days posted	23	24
Number of employers	1,170	986
Average hourly wage	$22.71	$22.22
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	40%	42%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• There were an estimated 5,177 job postings in the eastern Idaho labor market for June 2026 (regional online job postings data and not necessarily job openings data). The number of postings is a 15% increase from 4,488 the prior month and a 27% increase from June 2025.

Figure 3.

Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in eastern Idaho	Postings, Jun-26	Postings, Jun-25
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	219	138
Registered Nurses	195	140
Retail Salespersons	148	142
Customer Service Representatives	93	56
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	85	85
Laborers and Freight, Stock and Movers, Hand	83	70
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	72	41
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	71	79
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	58	35
Personal Care Aides	57	66
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Maintenance and Repair Workers and Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing replaced Fast Food and Counter Workers and Stockers and Order Fillers in the top 10 regional occupations by unique job postings for June. Employer hiring demand (based on quantity of job postings) increased over the month in occupations such as Registered Nurses; Hand Laborers and Freight, Stock and Movers; and Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers. Employer hiring demand decreased for Retail Salespersons and Customer Service Representatives.

Figure 4.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in eastern Idaho	Postings, Jun-26	Postings, Jun-25
Healthcare and Social Assistance	731	612
Retail Trade	446	436
Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services	436	419
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	336	286
Manufacturing	303	291
Construction	256	206
Educational Services	244	269
Wholesale Trade	222	258
Accommodation and Food Services	175	163
Finance and Insurance	153	104
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services replaced Construction in the top five regional industries in June by quantity of job postings. Hiring demand based on total unique job postings increased in Healthcare and Social Assistance; Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Manufacturing; Educational Services; Wholesale Trade and Finance and Insurance. There were decreases in Retail Trade; Construction and Accommodation and Food Services industries. 

Figure 5.

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in eastern Idaho	Median duration (days), Jun-26	Unique postings, Jun-26
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	35	27
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	34	47
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	33	37
Fast Food and Counter Workers	33	35
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	31	219
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	31	32
Food Preparation Workers	30	39
Physicians, All Other	30	33
Electrical Engineers	30	29
Mental Health Counselors	30	26
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Hardest-to-fill occupations in the eastern Idaho region for June (by highest median job posting duration and multiple unique job postings) included Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers followed by Sales Representatives.   

• Hardest-to-fill job posting challenges in June by occupational family were Food Preparation and Serving Related. All occupations added to the hardest-to-fill jobs list in June were new, except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners and Fast Food and Counter Workers

Regional news

• Government officials and members of the nuclear industry celebrated a new “Golden Era of Nuclear Power” at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls, following a major milestone at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright delivered the keynote, emphasizing the nation’s momentum in advancing next-generation nuclear energy. The celebration marked the successful criticality demonstration of Antares Nuclear’s Mark-0 advanced reactor at INL—the first privately developed non-light-water reactor to achieve this milestone in more than 40 years. It paves the way for future commercial deployment, with hopes to begin producing electricity as early as 2027. It is part of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program aiming to power military sites, data centers, remote communities and space missions. Source: KIFI

• As the Unity microreactor achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Deployable Energy unveiled a compact, one-megawatt nuclear battery small enough to fit in a pickup truck, yet powerful enough to supply 700 homes for five years. The Unity reactor, part of a trio of advanced reactors launched under a 2025 executive order, is designed for rapid deployment and broad site flexibility. This innovation could make nuclear energy more accessible and affordable. Supported by INL and the Department of Energy, Deployable Energy’s achievement marks a milestone in microreactor technology, with more advanced reactors expected to be online. Source: KIFI

• The College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) became the first community college in Idaho to earn national accreditation for its Early College Program from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. CEI is one of 10 institutions nationwide to receive this recognition in the 2025-26 cycle, joining 136 accredited programs across 27 states. The program allows high school students to take college-level courses for credit. Source: Post Register

• A consulting and marketing business in eastern Idaho, Conectate, received a $20,000 grant from American Express’s Shop Small Grants program, which awarded $10 million to over 500 businesses nationwide, including 10 in Idaho. Conectate has collaborated with major local organizations, such as Idaho Falls Community Hospital and the College of Eastern Idaho. Source: East Idaho News

• Yellowstone National Park saw 903,025 recreation visits in June, a decrease both 3% from June 2025 and 4% from June 2021, which was the park’s record-setting year. Source: National Park Service

• Anheuser-Busch announced a $4 million investment to upgrade its Idaho Falls malting plant, seed facility and barley elevator. The company also awarded a $50,000 grant to the University of Idaho for barley research. Idaho supplies nearly 70% of Anheuser-Busch’s barley, supporting over 230 growers statewide. The new investment aims to boost efficiency, support local jobs and advance agricultural research and innovation in the region. Source: Post Register

• Home prices across eastern Idaho are starting to cool. Several counties, including Bonneville, Custer, Lemhi and Teton, saw year‑over‑year median price decreases. Meanwhile, other counties like Fremont, Madison and Jefferson posted price increases, suggesting that demand remains localized rather than regionwide. Median days on the market increased in several counties — most dramatically in Madison — signaling buyers may be taking longer to commit and inventory is sitting longer, overall. Inventory shifts further support the trend toward a softer, more balanced market. Active listings fell sharply in some areas, such as Custer and Jefferson, but increased in growing markets like Madison, Fremont and Teton. Pending sales increased in nearly every county, with particularly large increases in Bonneville and Custer. While homes are staying on the market longer, buyer activity has not decreased, but buyers are becoming more selective. The residential real estate market is transitioning away from the rapid pace of the past few years and more toward conditions that may benefit buyers, even as demand remains strong in key submarkets. Source: Realtor.com Inventory Core Metrics

Bonneville County

• Ammon Honors Academy, a magnet honors high school in Bonneville Joint School District 93, is opening this fall at the former Ammon Elementary School. The change comes as another new elementary school opens in the district. Ammon Honors Academy, which offers project-based honors classes, will add a grade each year and will serve grades 7–12. Source: East Idaho News

• A local architecture firm, Resin Architecture, is restoring the historic Harvey’s Store on 1st St. in Idaho Falls, transforming the former community hub for fishing supplies into a small event venue. Source: East Idaho News

Custer County

• The pavilion, basketball and pickleball courts at Challis City Park are being expanded with $47,500 in grant funding from Centerra Gold’s Thompson Creek Mine, awarded to the Challis Community Farmers Market. Another $28,000 comes from the state. Source: Challis Messenger

• Central Idaho’s new Sawtooth Observatory in Stanley hosted a grand opening night with Idaho Dark Sky Alliance members and guests to view the night sky through telescopes. The observatory enhances the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, the nation’s first dark sky reserve, covering over 900,000 acres as some of the darkest skies in the U.S. Source: Challis Messenger

Fremont County

• The new 23,000-square-foot seasonal The Playmill Theatre officially opened in Island Park, replacing its original location in West Yellowstone, Montana. The inaugural season is sold out and features Disney’s Frozen, Les Misérables and Newsies. Source: KIFI

• Fremont County Commission voted to overturn the Planning and Zoning Commission’s denial of Caldera Flats subdivision in Island Park after determining the project meets county development standards. It would be a 32-lot residential development through DK Land, LLC. Source: East Idaho News

Jefferson County

• The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved the final plat for Homeland Estates, an 11-lot subdivision in an R-5 zone near Highway 48. The approval includes easements for future road expansion and connections. Source: Jefferson Star

• This fall, Rigby High School will open the new Broulim’s Fieldhouse, a 60,000-square-foot facility funded by Broulim’s Fresh Food, after a failed bond measure. The three-story fieldhouse will provide year-round training space for track, tennis, football and more. Source: Rexburg Standard Journal

• Nine acres of land for development near Eagles Rest subdivision in north Rigby has been changed to R-3 high-density zoning by the city council. Source: Jefferson Star

• After a decade of planning and community fundraising, the Friends of the Menan Annis Grant Library will break ground on a new 7,500-square-foot library building in Menan on Aug. 1. The library has received more than $500,000 in grants, donations and in-kind services. Source: East Idaho News

• Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will construct a new storage shed for marine equipment, funded by a $244,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation’s Waterways Improvement Fund. The total project cost is $309,000, with the county covering the remainder. Future expansion may add classrooms or offices if more funding is secured. Source: Jefferson Star

Lemhi County

• Four mine drilling rigs are in place at Ima Mine near Patterson as American Tungsten Corp. determines if full scale underground mining will resume. Source: Challis Messenger

Madison County

• The City of Rexburg was awarded an American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Community Challenge grant for $15,000. The grant support parks, libraries, transit and safety projects as part of an $8.3 million national pledge by AARP. Source: Idaho Business Review

Teton County

• The Federal Highway Administration awarded the county $240,000 through its Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program, with a required $60,000 local match, to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. It has hired the engineering firm HDR to identify accident hotspots and recommend solutions. These may include fencing, signage, animal detection systems and potential wildlife crossings for moose, elk and deer, especially along Highway 33. The project is set for completion by winter 2027. Source: Teton Valley News

• The Save Teton Pass Trail campaign received a $500,000 gift from a private donor. This donation, combined with over $1.1 million in community, federal and county funding, brings the total to $8.8 million. The funding will allow construction to begin on this phase of the Teton Pass Trail, creating a safer, nonmotorized path connecting Jackson Hole and Teton Valley. Planned improvements include a paved pathway, gravel haul road and a packed earth trail, linking the two communities for recreation and transportation. Source: Teton Valley News

• Victor City Council has approved their Capital Improvement Plan, awarding a $150,000 grant match to Victor Rock Park, a nonprofit, to build a new public outdoor climbing facility in Sherman Park. Phase one will feature a free, 12-foot-tall, 2,000-square-foot bouldering park, with construction set to begin this fall. The project is funded by city impact fees and private donations, including $60,000 from the Snavely Property Company. Source: Teton Valley News

Regional openings

• A new medical clinic, Dragonfly Wellness Center, opened in Idaho Falls.

• Raven-Flint Nuclear Corporation is opening an office in Idaho Falls.

• Utah-based America First Credit Union is opening a branch in Idaho Falls.

• HomeGoods is opening a retail location in Idaho Falls.

• Les Schwab Tire Center is opening a third Idaho Falls area location in Ammon.

• Bingham Healthcare Clinic & Urgent Care opened at Lincoln Square in Ammon.

• Teton Holistic Veterinary Care opened in Driggs.

• A new lapidary workshop, Atelier Yvona, opened in Spencer, offering rocks, gems and jewelry.

• The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings at Bingham Healthcare Clinic & Urgent Care, Alan R. Harrison Law, Cornerstone Wellness and Recovery, Les Schwab Tire Center, Harmony Counseling Services, LLC and Xhale Resort & Spa. These establishments either opened their doors within the past six months, moved to a new location due to expansion, or have remodeled or expanded their current location.

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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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