Regional news

Regional labor market information

Figure 1. South central Idaho labor market indicators (seasonally adjusted data)

Labor market indicators	Aug-26 (P)	Jul-26 (R)	Aug-25 (B)
Civilian labor force	108,649	107,932	109,802
Total employment	104,881	104,371	106,171
Unemployment	3,768	3,561	3,631
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.5%	3.3%	3.3%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

• The region’s unemployment rate has increased from July 2026. South central Idaho’s unemployment rate is still below the state’s current level, which is at 3.6%.

Figure 2. South central Idaho job postings

Job posting indicators	Aug-26	Aug-25
Unique postings	1,565	1,935
Days posted	10	20
Number of employers	450	679
Average hourly wage	$24.68	$25.05
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	39%	48%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Unique job postings, number of employers posting jobs and the average hourly wage have all decreased year over year from August 2025. These indicators suggest the demand for labor in south central Idaho has softened from August 2025.

Figure 3. Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in south central Idaho

Occupations	Postings, Aug-26	Postings, Aug-25
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	161	56
Retail Salespersons	61	74
Registered Nurses	56	78
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	44	57
Drivers/Sales Workers	44	24
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	41	21
General and Operations Managers	26	21
Customer Service Representatives	26	53
Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers, Hand	25	27
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	25	17
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers was the top occupation in south central Idaho by unique job postings in August 2026. The demand for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General doubled year over year from August 2025. The most in-demand occupations are concentrated in retail and production occupations.

Figure 4. Top 10 industries by unique job postings in south central Idaho

Industries	Postings, Aug-26	Postings, Aug-25
Manufacturing	175	230
Retail Trade	174	244
Healthcare and Social Assistance	133	236
Transportation and Warehousing	109	45
Educational Services	68	49
Wholesale Trade	60	92
Accommodation and Food Services	51	124
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	37	123
Real Estate, Rental and Leasing	35	41
Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services	33	50
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Manufacturing took the top spot as the largest industry by unique job postings in August 2026. While many large industries have seen a decrease in postings, Transportation and Warehousing saw a 142% increase in job postings year over year from August 2025.

Figure 5. Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in south central Idaho

Occupations	Median duration (days), Aug-26	Unique postings, Aug-25
Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	30	3
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparations and Serving Workers	26	17
Production Workers, All Other	25	19
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers and Repairers	25	20
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment	25	2
Registered Nurses	24	78
Hotel, Motel and Resort Desk Clerks	23	9
Atmospheric and Space Scientists	22	0
Customer Service Representatives	21	53
Solar Photovoltaic Installers	21	1
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• The hardest-to-fill occupations in south central Idaho this month were primarily a mix of maintenance and repair occupations.

Regional news

• A new Shoshone Falls overlook has opened in Jerome. The 40-by-20-foot overlook provides a new view of the iconic scenery. The project took nine years to complete. Source: KMVT

• Twin Falls High School has completed its new expanded welding and agriculture facility, adding 10 welding booths. This expansion allows more students to explore a future career in welding and the agriculture industry as a whole. Source: KMVT

Regional openings

• Cozy Coffee – Burley

• Bridy Peruvian Grill & Bar – Gooding

• Rack N Play – Twin Falls

• La Abejita – Jerome

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This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY27 as part of the Workforce Information grant (55%) and state/nonfederal funds (45%) totaling $649,127.

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