Author: Sam Wolkenhauer
Regional labor market information
- Labor demand in northern Idaho remained stable in September, with a total of 1,860 unique job postings in the region – a slight decline from 1,923 in August. The unemployment rate decreased slightly from 4.9% to 4.8%, increasing by 0.7% from September 2023. Overall, total employment has increased slightly over the last year.
| Northern Idaho seasonally adjusted data | Sep-24 (P) | Aug-24 (R) | Sep-23 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 128,822 | 128,001 | 126,983 |
| Total employment | 122,646 | 121,694 | 121,769 |
| Unemployment | 6,176 | 6,307 | 5,214 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 4.8% | 4.9% | 4.1% |
| Source: Idaho Department of Labor | P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked | ||
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in northern Idaho | Postings, Sep-24 | Postings, Sep-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Retail salespersons | 74 | 66 |
| Registered nurses | 66 | 83 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 63 | 39 |
| Unclassified occupation | 57 | 45 |
| Fast food and counter workers | 44 | 26 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 43 | 35 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 34 | 33 |
| Janitors and cleaners | 31 | 28 |
| Secretaries and administrative assistants | 30 | 29 |
| Customer service representatives | 29 | 46 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in northern Idaho | Postings, Sep-24 | Postings, Sep-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 274 | 257 |
| Retail trade | 221 | 237 |
| Administrative and support services | 179 | 169 |
| Accommodation and support services | 101 | 135 |
| Manufacturing | 90 | 113 |
| Wholesale trade | 84 | 91 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 82 | 101 |
| Finance and insurance | 73 | 89 |
| Construction | 59 | 37 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 51 | 46 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in northern Idaho | Median duration, Sep-24 | Median duration, Sep-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry and dry-cleaning workers | 25 | N/A |
| Chief Executives | 24 | N/A |
| Substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors | 24 | N/A |
| Public relations specialists | 23 | N/A |
| Dispatchers, except police, fire and ambulance | 22 | N/A |
| Biological scientists, all other | 22 | N/A |
| Nurse practitioners | 20 | N/A |
| Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians | 20 | N/A |
| Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors | 20 | N/A |
| Lawyers | 20 | N/A |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Kootenai County
- Kootenai Health is constructing a new facility in Coeur d’Alene and upgrading its existing Women’s Imaging Center in Post Falls. The project will add additional mammography scanners, ultrasound machines and bone density scanners to provide better screening and increase capacity. Kootenai Health timed the announcement of the new investments to coincide with October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and plans to begin work on the new screening facility in 2025. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- The North Point Plaza commercial complex is under construction in north Post Falls and early tenants will begin opening for business in the coming months. A 7-Eleven gas station is slated to open in December, followed by a Grocery Outlet in early 2025. Four parcels remain available for future tenants. Source: Coeur d’ Alene Press
- Camkels Holdings, a north Idaho based development company, is planning a four-story mixed used building in Post Falls which will include 9,800 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 3,8000 square feet of combined residential space on its upper floors. The ground floor commercial space will have room for a total of seven tenants, while the residential floors will include a mix of 33 one and two-bedroom apartments. The project is slated for completion in 2026. Source: Journal of Business
- North Idaho College (NIC) hosted a site visit from accreditation evaluators, now awaiting their report results. NIC leadership hosted a team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, who conducted the final site visit to NIC before the April 2025 decision on NIC’s accreditation status. The college has been under a show cause sanction since early 2023. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- The city of Coeur d’Alene approved a $2.3 million contract to begin improvements to Government Way. The new project will improve 10 different intersections on the busy north-south arterial, including improved pedestrian crossings, signals and synchronized lights to help traffic flow. Government Way has become one of the growing city’s most important corridors and has daily traffic in excess of 16,000 vehicles. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
Openings
- The Little Gym (Post Falls).
- Tony Mills Photography (Coeur d’Alene).
- Moose Lounge North (Hayden).
- Dragon Jacket Insulation (Post Falls).
- Metal America (Post Falls).
- Garage Door Design (Post Falls).
- Perma Column (Post Falls).
- Vintage Guild (Coeur d’Alene).
- Coffee Warehouse (Post Falls).
- Idaho Puppy Co. (Coeur d’Alene).
- La Pinata (Post Falls).
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.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Region
Labor demand in northern Idaho remained stable in August 2024, with a total of 1,923 unique job postings in the region – a slight decline from 2,043 in July. The unemployment rate rose slightly in August from 4.8% to 4.9%, increasing by 0.8% from August of last year. Overall, total employment has increased slightly over the last year.
Figure 1.
| Northern Idaho seasonally adjusted data | Aug-24 (P) | July-24 (R) | Aug-23 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 127,977 | 127,300 | 126,401 |
| Total employment | 121,686 | 121,180 | 121,231 |
| Unemployment | 6,291 | 6,120 | 5,170 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 4.9% | 4.8% | 4.1% |
| Source: Idaho Department of Labor | P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked | ||
Figure 2.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in northern Idaho, July 2024 | Postings, Aug-24 | Postings, Aug-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Retail salespersons | 68 | 73 |
| Registered nurses | 64 | 92 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 40 | 60 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 40 | 22 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 38 | 43 |
| Fast food and counter workers | 38 | 27 |
| Customer service representatives | 35 | 37 |
| Medical and health service managers | 33 | 14 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 29 | 41 |
| Cashiers | 28 | 23 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Figure 3.
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in northern Idaho, August 2024 | Postings, Aug-24 | Postings, Aug-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 273 | 309 |
| Retail trade | 260 | 288 |
| Administrative and support services | 202 | 221 |
| Manufacturing | 122 | 144 |
| Accommodation and food services | 118 | 137 |
| Finance and insurance | 78 | 85 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 70 | 94 |
| Wholesale trade | 69 | 73 |
| Educational services | 50 | 56 |
| Construction | 47 | 55 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Figure 4.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in northern Idaho, August 2024 | Median duration, Aug-24 | Median duration, Aug-23 |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive and watercraft service attendants | 27 | N/A |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks | 27 | N/A |
| Sewing machine operators | 27 | N/A |
| Electricians | 26 | N/A |
| Preschool teachers, except special education | 25 | N/A |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | 25 | 19 |
| First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers | 24 | N/A |
| Cashiers | 23 | N/A |
| Sales representatives, technical and scientific products | 23 | N/A |
| Machinists | 23 | 10 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Region News
Bonner County
- The Idaho Department of Lands auctioned off eight (now-former) endowment lots on Priest Lake, netting more than $11.4 million, which was more than $500,000 above the appraised value of the lots. Source: Bonner County Daily Bee
Kootenai County
- A new family division land-use ordinance has gone into effect in Kootenai County. The new ordinance contains exemptions which will make it easier for property owners to divide their land to either sell or gift to family members, by allowing living property owners to divide unplotted land without following the county’s formal subdivision procedures. Source: Journal of Business
- Coeur d’Alene based Intermax Networks raised $60 million in private and public funds to extend fiber-optic infrastructure to underserved regional communities. Projects have begun to run fiber to rural communities in northern Idaho including Spirit Lake, Twin Lakes Village and to bring connectivity along Idaho Route 54. Source: Journal of Business
- Construction is beginning on a new interchange between State Highway 53 and Pleasant View Road. The $30 million Idaho Transportation Department project will include a new diamond interchange and additional lanes, which will eliminate several railroad crossings and greatly increase capacity. Preliminary work this autumn is not expected to impact traffic flows, with impacts to drivers beginning in spring 2025. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- The North Idaho Building Contractor’s Association held its annual Parade of Homes. The event allows regional builders to showcase their state-of-the-art projects with ticketed tours of homes. The event serves to both promote home builders and educate the public on the latest trends and innovations in home design. It also serves major fundraiser for the Building Contractor’s Association. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
Openings
- Treehouse Restaurant (Coeur d’Alene)
- Armory Outpost (Hayden)
- Divine Nails & Spa (Coeur d’Alene)
- Honeysuckle Suites (Hayden)
- La Pinata (Post Falls)
- MAC Physical Therapy (Post Falls)
- Orchid Nails & Spa (Coeur d’Alene)
- Wholesome Plate (Coeur d’Alene)
- Paradigm Owners Rep Services (Coeur d’Alene)
- NorthLife Aesthetics (Coeur d’Alene)
- Bolton Law (Coeur d’Alene)
- Kayu International (Hayden)
- Sandpoint Ceramics (Sandpoint)
- Cultivation Counseling (Sandpoint)
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY24 as part of the Workforce Information grant (48%) and state/nonfederal (52%) totaling $704,259.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Region
- Labor demand in northern Idaho remained stable in July, 2024, with a total of 2,043 unique job postings in the region – a slight uptick from 1,872 in June. The unemployment rate rose slightly in July from 4.6% to 4.8%, increasing by a full percentage point from July 2023. Overall, total employment has decreased slightly over the last year.