Labor force statistics

Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)

LAUS 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 May unemployment rate increases to 3.7%

Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased between April and May, from 3.6% to 3.7%.

May’s labor force decreased by 1,203 (-0.1%) people to 1,002,324 while the labor force participation rate – the percentage of people 16 years or older who are either employed or looking for work – decreased by 0.2 percentage points between April and May, down to 62.0%.

Learn more about the May unemployment rate

(Released June 18, 2026)

State data and average annual rates

January 2025 through May 2026

Updated June 18, 2026

2026 Revised and preliminary data

Updated June 18, 2026

2026 Preliminary monthly county data

2025 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