Regional news

Northern developments for March were prepared by Labor Economist Lisa Grigg.

Regional labor market information

Figure 1.

Northern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data	Dec-25 (P)	Nov-24 (R)	Dec-24 (B)
Civilian labor force	133,153	132,630	130,951
Total employment	127,251	126,576	124,673
Unemployment	5,902	6,054	6,278
Percentage of labor force unemployed	4.4%	4.6%	4.8%
Source: Idaho Department of Labor	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

• 2026 labor force data will not be released until the 2025 benchmarking process is complete. The next monthly labor force data release is expected to occur in April and May 2026.

Figure 2.

Northern Idaho job postings	Feb-26	Feb-25
Unique postings	4,232	4,479
Days posted	22	22
Number of employers	984	1,011
Average hourly wage	$22.95	$22.46
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	45%	49%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• February 2026 job posting data shows labor market demand that is highly comparable to last month. There has been a 3% monthly increase with minor decreases of 6% from the same time last year.

Figure 3.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in northern Idaho	Postings, Feb-26	Postings, Feb-25
Registered Nurses	172	231
Retail Salespersons	123	177
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	111	135
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	80	98
Customer Service Representatives	76	78
Medical and Health Services Managers	71	81
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	69	36
Nursing Assistants	63	64
Fast Food and Counter Workers	63	58
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	57	49
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• The highest in-demand occupations in northern Idaho are concentrated in a few specific sectors, including Health Care, Sales and Office and Administrative Support. Food preparation and serving occupations had one of the largest gains in job postings compared to the previous month — although it was a minor change overall.

Figure 4.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in northern Idaho	Postings, Feb-26	Postings, Feb-25
Health Care and Social Assistance	751	876
Retail Trade	490	528
Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services	386	407
Accommodation and Food Services	295	313
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	223	223
Manufacturing	221	224
Finance and Insurance	174	194
Public Administration	147	142
Wholesale Trade	127	151
Other Services (Except Public Administration)	104	114
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Top industries for job postings remained largely consistent year over year. Health Care consistently dominates hiring activity, with large consumer sectors like Retail Trade and Accommodation and Food Services also making large contributions.

Figure 5.

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in northern Idaho	Median duration (days), Feb-26	Unique postings, Feb-26
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	39	32
Sales Managers	35	26
Pharmacy Technicians	32	32
Speech-Language Pathologists	29	30
Medical and Health Services Managers	29	71
Fast Food and Counter Workers	28	63
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	28	39
Waiters and Waitresses	27	33
Nursing Assistants	27	63
Driver and Sales Workers	27	32
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• The most difficult to fill positions tend to focus within the occupations of construction and extraction (31 days), health care (27 days), as well as building and grounds cleaning and maintenance.

Regional news

Benewah County

• Northwest Specialty Hospital has taken ownership of the Syringa Health and Wellness clinic in St. Maries and has renamed it Northwest Family Medicine. Source: Syringa Health and Wellness

Bonner County

• Litehouse Inc. in Sandpoint changed its name to Litehouse Foods. Source: Bonner County Daily Bee

• Sandpoint City Council has contracted with IPS Group to install 43 paid parking kiosks in 2-hour parking zones, city-owned lots and City Beach. Source: Bonner County Daily Bee

• Knight Construction and Supply was awarded a $20 million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to replace all 11 spillway gates at Albeni Falls Dam in Oldtown. The first replacement gate will arrive in 2027 and construction will be completed during the early 2030s. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Boundary County

• A former Safeway supermarket building in Bonners Ferry is being converted to the new Boundary County Courthouse. The $3.7 million construction project is expected to be completed by October 2026. Source: KREM

• North Idaho Classical Academy in Bonners Ferry continues to make progress on construction of the new school. It will initially open to 240 students in grades K-7 in August 2026. Source: Bonners Ferry Herald

Kootenai County

• Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics and Heritage Health are forming a new partnership to improve access and simplify the preventive health service experience. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

• Selkirk Sport received a $30 million investment from private equity firm Bluestone Equity Partners. Selkirk Sport produces pickleball paddles, shoes and accessories. Source: Spokane Journal of Business

• The Coeur d’Alene Design Review Commission approved a new five story 173-room Hilton Dual Brand Hotel off Lee Court and Appleway Avenue. All permits are expected to be submitted by the end of June 2026 and construction is likely to last 18-20 months. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

• Starting July 1, 2026, Kootenai Health will take over management of the Hagadone Medical Clinic. The clinic serves to provide primary patient care to Hagadone Corporation health plan members and their covered dependents. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

• The Post Falls City Council approved a zoning change allowing the future Prairie Medical Center to build an emergency department tower taller than 45 feet. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers opened in Coeur d’Alene in mid-March and hired 135 employees ahead of opening day. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press

Shoshone County

• The Lucky Friday mine produced a record 5.3 million ounces of silver in 2025. The surface cooling construction project is at 79% completion and is scheduled to be finished by mid-2026. Source: Hecla Mining Company

• Americas Gold and Silver Corporation announced the discovery of 10 new high grade silver-copper-antimony veins and three silver-lead veins at the Galena Complex near Wallace. Source: Americas Gold and Silver Corporation

Regional openings

• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant, Coeur d’Alene

• Valley Mart convenience station, Medimont

• Aria Dental Studio, Post Falls

• Spill the Tea and Benzo Box, Post Falls

• On Key Studio, Bonners Ferry

• Brain Body Balance LLC counseling and mental health, St. Maries

Regional closings

• Schmidty’s Burgers, Coeur d’Alene

• Art Spirit Gallery, Coeur d’Alene

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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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