Labor force statistics

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)

Local Area Unemployment Statistics provide measurements for labor force, employment and unemployment at the state, county, and city levels. The data used in LAUS estimates comes from sources such as the Current Population Survey (CPS) performed by the United States Census Bureau, Current Employment Statistics (CES), the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) and Unemployment Insurance claim numbers.

Idaho’s December unemployment rate decreases to 3.6%

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased between November and December, from 3.7% to 3.6%.

December’s labor force increased by 1,628 (0.2%) people to 1,013,141 while the labor force participation rate – the percentage of people 16 years or older who are either employed or looking for work – was unchanged between November and December, remaining at 62.9%.

Continue reading this month’s rate release. (1/23/2026)

State data and average annual rates

January 2024 through December 2025

Updated 1/23/2026

2025 Revised and preliminary data

Updated 1/23/2026

2025 Preliminary monthly county data

2024 Labor force data benchmarked

What is the LAUS program?

Along with allowing local stakeholders and decision makers to see changes to labor force participation and the unemployment rate, LAUS information is used by numerous institutions both inside and outside of the state. Examples include using county labor force levels when setting utility rates, the extension of unemployment insurance benefits should the state reach a high unemployment rate threshold, and the allocation of federal employment and training resources to Areas of Substantial Unemployment (ASUs).

Data and tools