Regional labor market information

• Labor demand in south central Idaho remained strong in October 2024, with a total of 3,899 unique job postings in the region, a 7% increase from 3,641 unique postings in September 2024. The unemployment rate remained at 3.5% from September 2024 and has increased 0.3% from October 2023. Total employment has increased 2.5% over the past year.

Figure 1.

South central Idaho seasonally adjusted data	Oct-24 (P)	Sep-24 (R)	Oct-23 (B)
Civilian labor force	109,455	108,277	106,440
Total employment	105,591	104,463	103,050
Unemployment	3,864	3,814	3,390
% of labor force unemployed	3.5%	3.5%	3.2%
Source: Idaho Department of Labor	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

Figure 2.

Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in south central Idaho	Postings, Oct-24	Postings, Oct-23
Retail salespersons	139	89
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	123	115
Registered nurses	103	81
Customer service representatives	68	75
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	65	74
Laborers, freights, stock, material movers and hand	64	33
Sales representatives, wholesale, manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	46	15
Driver and sales workers	45	48
Maintenance, repair workers and general	41	43
Secretaries, administrative assistants, except legal, medical and executive	37	20
Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast

Figure 3

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in south central Idaho	Postings, Oct-24	Postings, Oct-23
Retail trade	474	356
Health care and social assistance	445	254
Manufacturing	342	256
Wholesale trade	150	81
Construction	137	53
Finance and insurance	117	70
Professional, scientific and technical services	114	125
Public administration	107	62
Accommodation and food services	91	161
Transportation and warehousing	85	95
Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast

• Construction, health care and social assistance job postings increased 158% and 75%, respectively, over the year. Accommodation and food services job openings decreased 43% over the year.

Figure 4

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in south central Idaho	Days to fill, Oct-24	Days to fill, Oct-23
Cost estimators	59	N/A
Natural science managers	58	31
Speech-language pathologists	58	51
Merchandise displayers and window trimmers	58	22
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, drying machine operators and tenders	57	N/A
First-line supervisors of security workers	56	59
Web developers	55	N/A
Clinical and counseling psychologists	55	N/A
Cement masons and concrete finishers	55	N/A
Lawyers	53	N/A
Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast

Regional news

Blaine County

• The Freidman Memorial Airport Authority board has approved a lease agreement allowing business jet servicer Clay Lacy to construct a terminal on a 10-acre plot southwest of the runway. The terminal is planned to have 70,000 square feet of hangar space for business jets and 45,000 square feet for smaller general aviation planes. The design of the terminal is still awaiting approval. Source: Idaho Mountain Express

Twin Falls County

• The privately-owned “Splash Canyon Hotel” is being constructed on the corner of Bridgeview and Pole Line in Twin Falls offering indoor water slides, pools and hot tubs. The hotel will be constructed in two phases.  The first phase will have 64 rooms, with 20-30 additional rooms planned in phase two. The hotel is planned for completion in Summer of 2025. Source: Magic Valley Times News
• North Canyon Network of Care has opened a 23,000 square foot clinic in Twin Falls. The new three-story building has 25 exam rooms, expanding their services in Twin Falls from primarily orthopedic services to provide family medicine, ear, nose, throat, gynecology, urology services and diagnostic imaging services. Source: Magic Valley Times News

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This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.

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