Regional labor market information
- Labor force estimates for November 2024 from the Idaho Department of Labor’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics saw both the civilian labor force and total employment number decreasing and total unemployment rate increasing in the seven-county southeastern region. Seasonally adjusted, November’s preliminary estimates have labor force participants decreasing by 21 people, with 148 less employed people and 127 more unemployed people. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 3.7%, a 0.1% increase from October 2024 and 0.5% higher than November 2023.
| Southeastern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data | Nov-24 (P) | Oct-24 (R) | Nov-23 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 91,292 | 91,313 | 88,629 |
| Total employment | 87,911 | 88,059 | 85,809 |
| Unemployment | 3,381 | 3,254 | 2,820 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| Source: Idaho Department of Labor | P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked | ||
- In November 2024, there were 1,316 unique online job postings in the southeastern Idaho labor market area, which decreased 15% from the prior month at 1,557 and 8% over the year at 1,433. The median job posting duration was 31 days, an increase of two days from October and an increase of seven days from November 2023.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Nov-24 | Postings, Nov-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 19 | 28 |
| Retail salespersons | 19 | 18 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 13 | 9 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 12 | 7 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 11 | 9 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | 10 | 10 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 8 | 16 |
| Food service managers | 8 | 0 |
| Cashiers | 7 | 3 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 7 | 8 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- The top occupational families by unique online job postings in southeastern Idaho for November were sales and related, health care and management occupations. Among specific occupations, registered nurses were at the top of the list with 19 unique online postings, followed by retail salespersons (19), first line retail supervisors (13), merchandise displayers (12) and hand material movers (11).
| Top industries by job unique postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Nov-24 | Postings, Nov-23 |
|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 43 | 49 |
| District health and medical insurance carriers | 14 | 18 |
| Commercial and institutional building construction | 13 | 10 |
| Clothing and clothing accessories retailers | 12 | 4 |
| Other general government support | 11 | 8 |
| Colleges, universities and professional schools | 10 | 15 |
| Supermarkets and other grocery retailers (except convenience retailers) | 9 | 14 |
| Stationary and office supplies merchant wholesalers | 8 | 0 |
| Commercial banking | 7 | 5 |
| Full-service restaurants | 7 | 0 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Health care and social assistance, retail, manufacturing, finance and professional services are at the top of broadly defined industries by unique online job postings in November. These top unique job postings were similar to November 2023 but broadly decreased since last year: hospitals decreased by 12%, insurance by 22%, colleges by 33% and supermarkets by 36%. Large increases were still observed in clothing retailers by 200% and construction by 30%.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southeastern Idaho | Median duration, Nov-24 | Unique postings, Nov-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Home health and personal care aides | 28 | 19 |
| Purchasing managers | 28 | 0 |
| Parts salespersons | 26 | 0 |
| Court, municipal and license clerks | 25 | 0 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 23 | 4 |
| Financial risk specialists | 23 | 0 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | 22 | 0 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 22 | 5 |
| Dishwashers | 22 | 13 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers | 17 | 0 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Based on the hiring challenges by median number of days an occupational job posting is listed, management and business and finance occupations stood out in November, including purchasing managers (28 days) and financial risk specialists (23 days). Registered nurses had a median posting duration of zero days with 19 postings in November —indicating the positions are being filled rapidly.
| County housing data, November 2024 | Median listing price | Month over month price change | Median days on the market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock | $394,900 | -1.25% | 74 | 323 |
| Bear Lake | $579,000 | 0.13% | 100 | 62 |
| Bingham | $416,250 | 1.57% | 52 | 123 |
| Caribou | $355,000 | 1.43% | 112 | 30 |
| Franklin | $569,500 | 0.24% | 93 | 42 |
| Oneida | $444,450 | 1.24% | 110 | 22 |
| Power | $389,000 | 0% | 71 | 20 |
| Source: Realtor.com Economic Research | ||||
- There was some negative price movement in November in Bannock County while there were increases in Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin and Oneida. Power County median home prices remained the same. The county with the longest median time on the market was Caribou County at 112 days. Power County had the lowest median listing price in the region while Bingham was the hottest with the lowest median of 52 days on the market.
Regional news
Bannock County
- Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant held its ninth annual free Thanksgiving community dinner. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Chubbuck Lions, a civic organization, held its “Graysgiving” event in Sacajawea Park to raise money for the Special Needs Christmas Dinner in December. Source: KPVI News
- The Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho performed a $50,000 operation to repair a local Pocatello man’s teeth as a part of their annual promotion. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Portneuf Cancer Center held a ribbon cutting for their new Varian True Beam Linear Accelerator. This machine is the main tool for radiation oncologists to fight various types of cancer. Before this change, patients from Pocatello would have to travel a distance for this treatment, usually to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. Source: KPVI News
- Portneuf Health announced Nate Carter, previously serving as the interim CEO, will now be the official CEO for the hospital. Source: East Idaho News
- The Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25, as a part of their new committee to address enrollment, is discussing the closure of Washington Elementary School as enrollment decreases and maintenance fees increase. Total enrollment in the district decreased by 1,000 students compared to seven years ago, 740 students of which have been in elementary schools. In response, there was a march in protest for the suggested change comprised of students, teachers and families from Caldwell Park to the school. Source: Idaho State Journal, KIFI News
- Barrie’s Ski and Sports received $1,600 from two local children to contribute to their annual food drive. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The metal and punk concert in downtown Pocatello, Mosh for Santa, was held for the benefit of the Southeast Idaho Toys for Tots program. The concert has raised $20,000 in its six-year history. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Portneuf Valley Brewing held a craft fair event to showcase local handmade products including pottery, blankets and hand-blown glass. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Bicycles for Recovery, in conjunction with the Friendship Club and Center of Hope South, is seeking funding from grants and private donation to provide bicycles for those struggling with mental health and addiction. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The annual Christmas Night Lights Parade was held in Pocatello. Source: KIFI News
- The Ladies Holiday Tea event was held for a third year in Pocatello’s Juniper Hills Country Club to benefit local charities. Events included an auction, raffle, lunch and fashion show while attendees raised $8,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of southeast Idaho and the Gate City Singers. Source: KPVI News
- Idaho State University intends to sell the Magnuson Alumni House due to the high cost of maintenance. The school intends to work with Colliers Real Estate to find a potential buyer. The property is expected to be maintained as a historic residence. Source: Idaho State University News
- Macy’s Apples and Hives, Swore Farms, Evans Farmstead Cheese and CreeAnna’s were among the vendors present in the first Christmas Market at the Westwood Mall. Source: Idaho State Journal
Bear Lake County
- The Paris Elementary School library received a $3,000 grant from the Idaho Lottery. Source: The News-Examiner
Bingham County
- The Christmas Tree Fantasy was held at the Eastern Idaho Fairground. The fundraiser collects donated trees and other Christmas decorations to auction off for local charities. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Kiwanis Club, a service club, has returned to Blackfoot after getting the prerequisite 15 members to form a board and hold internal elections. The club seeks to serve youth and family in the region by encouraging service projects, leadership skills and fostering youth engagement in the community. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Christmas tree tradition in Blackfoot was revived thanks to a $6,000 investment from the city after being suspended during the pandemic. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Community Dinner Table, a Christian church coalition formed to serve a weekly free meal, served its 100,000th meal. Source: Idaho State Journal
Caribou County
- Shane and Camille Petersen, owners of Idan-Ha theaters and The Centre theater, revamped a pizzeria in Soda Springs, renaming it Grumpy Guy’s Pizza. Source: The News-Examiner
Franklin County
- Five-hundred people participated and volunteered at the Bear River Massacre site restoration — reintroducing 23 native plant species back to the 350-acre plot of land. Source Idaho State Journal
Oneida County
- The Malad Dragon wrestlers held a fundraiser raffle to raise money to compete in northern Idaho. The IronDoor Smokehouse was present for catering and Ward’s Ace and Country Store was present as a Federal Firearms License holder to support the transfer of several raffled firearms. Source: The Idaho Enterprise
Power County
- The American Falls Airport was renamed to Savage Field to honor Dave Savage for his years of service to the local aviation community. The completion of the revamped runway is set to be open in June 2025. Source: Power County Press
- Hillcrest Elementary in American Falls raised $13,000 during their read-a-thon with nearly 163,000 minutes read. Donations were matched by a fraternal financial services organization, Modern Woodmen of America, with up to $2,500. Source: Power County Press
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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