Regional news

Regional labor market information

Figure 1. Southeastern Idaho labor market indicators (seasonally adjusted data)

Labor market indicators	Sep-26 (P)	Aug-26 (R)	Sep-25 (B)
Civilian labor force	85,113	84,705	86,486
Total employment	81,798	81,466	83,269
Unemployment	3,315	3,239	3,217
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.9%	3.8%	3.7%
Source: Idaho Department of Labor	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

• The unemployment rate in the southeastern region was above the state unemployment rate in September. This came as new entrants to the labor force increased regional total employment and unemployment.

Figure 2. Southeastern Idaho job postings

Job posting indicators	Sep-26	Sep-25
Unique postings	2,817	2,475
Days posted	31	27
Number of employers	658	622
Average hourly wage	$22.09	$19.63
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	40%	43%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Unique postings increased as did wages and number of employers. The number of days posted also increased, indicating a longer aggregate time to fill positions.

Figure 3. Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho

Occupations	Postings, Sep-26	Postings, Sep-25
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	256	84
Registered Nurses	114	94
Retail Salespersons	112	87
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	98	112
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	71	50
Nursing Assistants	56	34
Customer Service Representatives	51	57
Cashiers	44	27
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	42	37
Stockers and Order Fillers	41	28
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers increased in September. Other occupations like Registered Nurses and Retail Salespersons also increased. However, Home Health and Personal Care Aides, as well as Customer Service Representatives had less postings year over year.

Figure 4. Top 10 industries by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho

Industries	Postings, Sep-26	Postings, Sep-25
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	260	281
General Freight Trucking, Local	74	9
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools	69	72
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores	66	53
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload	63	22
Limited-Service Restaurants	53	81
Elementary and Secondary Schools	51	67
Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists)	47	15
Home Healthcare Services	44	65
Other General Government Support	36	33
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Trucking, both local and long distance, increased in September with local trucking having a specifically elevated number of postings. Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) also noticeably increased.

Figure 5. Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southeastern Idaho

Occupations	Median duration (days), Sep-26	Unique postings, Sep-26
Education Administrators, Postsecondary	58	4
Hairdressers, Hairstylists and Cosmetologists	53	3
General and Operations Managers	52	7
Advertising Sales Agents	52	2
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	50	3
Archivists	49	1
Janitors and Cleaners, except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	48	7
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	44	4
Epidemiologists	42	2
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	39	44
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Education Administrators, Postsecondary; Hairdressers, Hairstylists and Cosmetologists; General Operations Managers and Advertising Sales Agents job postings had the longest duration of postings from 52 to 58 days posted. However, Home Health and Personal Care Aides had the shortest posting duration at 39 days, as well as had the most significant number of postings with 44 unique postings in September.

Regional news

Bannock County

• Amy’s Kitchen in Pocatello laid off 49 workers at the Pocatello plant. This came as Amy’s Kitchen reduced its workforce nationally including an out-of-state plant closure. Source: Idaho State Journal

• Idaho State University (ISU) received a $300,000 grant from an Accelerate Idaho AI Innovation Award. This grant will expand the university’s locally hosted BengalBot. BengalBot is used as a tool in ISU’s Applied AI Certificate and bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence. Source: Idaho State Journal

• The Pocatello City Council approved a division, Northgate Ridge, for 110 residential lots on a 20-acre plat. The first phase will focus on townhomes followed by single family homes. Source: Idaho State Journal

• Idaho State University will construct a new basketball arena. The arena, projected to cost $80 million, will be funded through private philanthropy and include a large donation from Idaho Central Credit Union. The new arena will have a 4,500 people capacity. Source: KIFI News

Bingham County

• Premier Technology Inc. opened a new facility. Financed in part by the National Nuclear Security Administration of the Department of Energy, the facility will have the capacity to work on nuclear related manufacturing. The expansion is expected to create 40 to 50 new jobs. Source: Idaho State Journal

Regional openings

• Portneuf Valley Brewing reopened as Portneuf Valley Brewing and Pizzeria in Pocatello.

• Smiles and Styles Kids Cuts, a children’s barber shop, opened in Pocatello.

• Big Chubbs BBQ opened in Montpelier.

• The Yarning Portal, a yarn and craft retailer, opened in Blackfoot.

• Emberlight Nexus, a tabletop gaming lounge, opened in Pocatello.

Regional closings

• Deseret Industries closed in Preston.

• Wells Fargo closed in Aberdeen.

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This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY27 as part of the Workforce Information grant (55%) and state/nonfederal funds (45%) totaling $649,127.

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