Regional news

Regional labor market information

Figure 1.

Eastern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data	Dec-25 (P)	Nov-25 (R)	Dec-24 (B)
Civilian labor force	133,045	132,436	136,738
Total employment	128,508	128,198	132,012
Unemployment	4,537	4,238	4,726
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.4%	3.2%	3.5%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

• There is no new monthly sub-state labor force data to report. Updated labor force data will be released in May.

Figure 2.

Eastern Idaho job postings	Mar-26	Mar-25
Unique postings	4,332	3,066
Days posted	21	27
Number of employers	1,102	595
Average hourly wage	$22.95	$30.58
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	40%	35%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• There were an estimated 4,332 deduplicated job postings in the eastern Idaho labor market for March 2026 (regional online job postings data and not necessarily job openings data). The number of postings is a 10% increase from 3,947 the prior month and a 41% increase from 3,066 year over year.

Figure 3.

Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in eastern Idaho	Postings, Mar-26	Postings, Mar-25
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	157	146
Retail Salespersons	143	96
Registered Nurses	116	113
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	78	63
Customer Service Representatives	77	58
Stokers and Order Fillers	65	29
Maintenance and Repair Worker, General	57	16
Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers, Hand	53	26
Project Management Specialists	51	35
Fast Food and Counter Workers	51	N/A
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Stockers and Order Fillers; Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers, Hand; and Fast Food and Counter Workers replaced Medical and Health Service Managers; Personal Care Aides; Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery and Greenhouse in the top 10 regional occupations by unique job postings for March. Employer hiring demand, based on quantity of job postings, increased over the month in occupations such as Customer Service Representatives by 20%, Retail Salespersons by 29%, Project Management Specialists by 16% and Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers by 8%. Employer hiring demand decreased for Registered Nurses by 27%.

Figure 4.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in eastern Idaho	Postings, Mar-26	Postings, Mar-25
Healthcare and Social Assistance	477	363
Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services	466	271
Retail Trade	446	342
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	395	371
Manufacturing	266	314
Construction	245	143
Accommodation and Food Services	200	76
Wholesale Trade	180	130
Finance and Insurance	152	108
Educational Services	130	232
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• The top five regional industries in March by quantity of job postings remained unchanged over the month. Hiring demand based on total unique job postings increased 5% in Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services, 20% in Manufacturing, 27% in Retail Trade, 14% in Construction, 16% in Wholesale Trade and 4% in Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, and 32% in Accommodation and Food Services industries. There was a decrease by 18% in Healthcare and Social Assistance, 7% in Finance and Insurance and 4% in Educational Services industries. 
  

Figure 5.

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in eastern Idaho	Median duration (days), Mar-26	Unique postings, Mar-26
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery and Greenhouse	46	49
Construction Managers	44	33
Medical and Health Services Managers	43	33
Food Preparation Workers	37	30
Cashiers	33	43
Personal Care Aides	32	43
Radiologic and Technologists and Technicians	30	43
Other Construction Equipment Operators	30	24
Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers, Hand	29	53
Physical Therapists	29	22
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Hardest-to-fill occupations in the eastern Idaho region for March, by highest median job posting duration and multiple unique job postings, included Farmworkers and Laborers; Crop, Nursery and Greenhouse; Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers; and Construction Managers.

• Hardest-to-fill job posting challenges in March by occupational family were Management and Healthcare Practitioners. All occupations added to the hardest-to-fill jobs list in March were new, except Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers, Hand and Construction Managers.

Regional news

• As senior nuclear experts retire, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Athena Initiative addresses a critical knowledge gap to safeguard the world from nuclear threats. Recently, the program retrieved uranium fuel abroad to support ongoing testing and workforce training. The program moves early-career scientists through progressively complex training environments, from cold surrogate models to live irradiated fuel processing in hot cells, while rotating them through national and international laboratories, including Idaho National Laboratory. Athena has hosted eight rotations covering fuel dissolution, solvent extraction and equipment operations. Source: Idaho National Laboratory

• The College of Eastern Idaho announced an inaugural eight-week Summer STEM Bridge Program for high school students. Participants will complete two college-level courses ― fundamentals of network security and college math ― to earn up to six credits. Classes will be taught by faculty and industry experts. Students will also participate in two field experiences at Idaho National Laboratory. Source: Idaho Business Review

• Six eastern Idahoans graduated from the Idaho Career Opportunities – Next in Construction (ICONIC) program. It is a collaboration between the Idaho Transportation Department and the Idaho Department of Labor that fast-tracks workers into heavy equipment operation careers through five weeks of simulator training, hands-on practice and industry-recognized certifications. Selected from 78 applicants, several graduates already have jobs lined up in civil and highway construction — a field facing a significant labor shortage accelerated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s demand for skilled workers. Source: KIFI

• The College of Eastern Idaho has been named one of 10 national recipients of a Lumina Foundation grant through its Great Admissions Redesign initiative, investing more than $3.5 million to simplify college admissions and expand student access nationwide. Source: Post Register

• Texas-based Aalo Atomics unveiled the world’s first experimental extra modular nuclear reactor at Idaho National Laboratory, also the first reactor completed on U.S. Department of Energy property in 50 years. Built in just 40 days, four months ahead of schedule, the reactor will go online by July as part of a national Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program. It will generate up to 10 megawatts of electricity using liquid metal cooling that requires no water. Aalo Atomics has already signed a deal to supply 70 megawatts to Idaho Falls Power. Source: East Idaho News

• Idaho National Laboratory officially opened Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) — the world’s first nuclear reactor test bed for privately developed microreactors —  completing the facility a year ahead of schedule to meet growing U.S. energy demand. The National Reactor Innovation Center Test Bed can host experiments generating up to 20 megawatts of thermal energy, giving private developers a real-world environment to gather data for future licensing, while reducing the time and cost of bringing next-generation reactors to market. Radiant’s Kaleidos unit is set to become the first experiment this spring. The facility is already drawing private companies to Idaho Falls, with at least four developers opening local offices. Source: KIFI

• Snowpack drought conditions persist in eastern Idaho. April precipitation, as reported by Idaho SNOTEL, has snow water equivalent in the Lost, Wood, Henry’s Fork-Teton and Snake (above Palisades) basins ranging from 58% – 74% of normal. Henry’s Fork Basin registered the lowest, while Big Wood basin had the highest. Reservoirs in the Upper Snake River Basin are at 76% capacity, Palisades Reservoir is at 61% capacity, Island Park is at 90% capacity and Henry’s Lake is at 96% capacity. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

• Over the year, Madison, Butte and Fremont counties are gaining momentum in residential home real estate with rising prices, faster sales and stronger activity of homes under contract. Bonneville County remains steady with balanced, gradually improving demand. Teton and Jefferson counties show tension between climbing prices and softening buyer engagement. Custer and Lemhi counties posted price declines and slower activity of homes under contract. Overall, regional demand strength is concentrated in mid-market counties. Higher-end and rural homes for sale are sitting on the market longer, while fewer buyers are under contract with prices remaining high. Source: Realtor.com Inventory Core Metrics

Bonneville County

• Swire Coca-Cola, USA, the regional bottler and distributor of Coca-Cola products, is building a new Idaho Falls facility to consolidate with its operations in Pocatello as the distribution, fleet dispatch and sales center. Source: East Idaho News

• The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho is planning a $6 million expansion that will add 22,000 square feet to its Idaho Falls space, including dedicated classrooms, expanded gallery and additional storage. The project, designed by Resin Architects, has been fundraising since 2024 with support from the Community Hospital Corporation, Hartwell and Simplot foundations. Source: East Idaho News

• Enrollment at Idaho State University’s Idaho Falls campus saw a 5% increase for spring 2026 and over 4% annual gain. Source: Idaho State University

• The 30th Annual East Idaho Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Expo drew thousands of patrons to the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls. It featured over 100 fly tyers, dozens of vendors, free presentations and professional classes. Source: KIFI

Fremont County

• The Sand Box RV project near the St. Anthony Sand Dunes was approved by Fremont County Planning and Zoning Commission. Approval for playground, volleyball, pickleball and on-site store amenities is pending appeal. Source: East Idaho News

Jefferson County

• The city of Rigby will receive a provisional $5 million grant through the Community Project Funding program. It will address critical water infrastructure upgrades, including construction of a 1.5 million-gallon storage tank, a water line upgrade beneath U.S. Highway 20 and replacement of 8,000 feet of aging pipe. The city must first complete a formal application, but project engineering and design are already complete and ready for bidding. Source: Jefferson Star

• The Rigby city council approved Fybercom as the provider for fiberoptic internet cable throughout the city. The installation and construction will be at no cost to city residents. Source: Jefferson Star

Teton County

• Driggs city officials approved the preliminary plat of the Shoshoni Plains Subdivision, adding 20 single-family homes to be built by Western Teton Development LLC. A build out of 187 additional homes on 110 acres is also being proposed. Source: Teton Valley News

• The Teton Pass backcountry shuttle, operated by Teton Backcountry Alliance, set a record for its highest winter ridership, transporting 1,469 skiers and snowboarders. Source: Buckrail

• Teton Ridge Ranch Foundation donated $2 million to Teton Valley Health Care in Driggs to improve its financial health and fund hospital expenses like payroll. Source: Jackson Hole News & Guide

Regional openings

• Nuvia Wellness, a GLP-1 clinic offering weight-loss programs, opened in Idaho Falls.

• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is opening in Idaho Falls.

• Altitude Sports and Spine, a new medical clinic, opened in Idaho Falls.

• Pony Express Car Wash opened another location in Idaho Falls, their seventh in eastern Idaho.

• Dolce Berry, a Mexican restaurant, opened in Victor.

• JJs Menswear, a new retailer, opened in Rigby.

• Fall River Funeral Home opened in St. Anthony.

• The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings at Omega Technical Services, Sherwin-Williams, Alliance Title & Escrow, TankaWest Farmers Insurance, Altitude Sport and Spine, Life: A Center for Independent Living, MileX by Mr. Transmission and DeSpain Accounting Firm. These establishments either opened their doors within the past six months, moved to a new location due to expansion, have remodeled or expanded their current location.

• Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Ledgerwise Bookkeeping.

Regional closings

• American Farmers Network in Idaho Falls ceased meatpacking plant operations, laying off 150 employees.

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This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY26 as part of the Workforce Information grant (41%) and state/nonfederal funds (59%) totaling $860,595.

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