Regional news

Regional labor market information

Figure 1.

Southwestern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data	Jun-26 (P)	May-26 (R)	Jun-25 (B)
Civilian labor force	489,772	490,637	493,816
Total employment	472,158	472,872	476,559
Unemployment	17,614	17,763	17,257
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.6%	3.6%	3.5%
Source: Idaho Department of Labor	P – Preliminary	R – Revised	B – Benchmarked

• Total labor force decreased in the southwestern region year over year by 4,044 people. This is partly due to new population data inputs modeling the total labor force, indicating lower-than-expected population growth. This demographic shift resulted in a year-over-year reduction in total employment by 4,401 workers, which outpaced the drop in labor supply and led to a slight increase in total unemployment (an increase of 357 people) despite the flat 3.6% unemployment rate.

Figure 2.

Southwestern Idaho job postings	Jun-26	Jun-25
Unique postings	31,505	25,508
Days posted	22	24
Number of employers	4,385	4,052
Median hourly wage	$30.34	$28.12
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	52%	52%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Unique job postings continued their upward trajectory, increasing from 30,923 in May to 31,505 in June (a 1.9% increase month-over-month). Employers offered increasingly competitive rates to attract talent with raising the median hourly wage from $29.51 in May to $30.34 in June. The median days a listing remained active decreased slightly from 23 days in May to 22 days in June, suggesting that positions were filled slightly faster.

Figure 3.

Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho	Postings, Jun-26	Postings, Jun-25
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	880	521
Registered Nurses	838	1,045
Retail Salespersons	701	722
Software Developers	663	501
Customer Service Representatives	635	507
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	519	446
Medical and Health Services Managers	447	381
Project Management Specialists	447	290
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	414	429
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	401	300
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ranked No. 1 with 880 unique job postings in June. Software Developers and Customer Service Representatives remained highly sought after with minimal fluctuations during the month.

Figure 4.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho	Postings, Jun-26	Postings, Jun-25
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	1,848	1,926
Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing	692	181
Elementary and Secondary Schools	670	671
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (Except Convenience Stores)	645	565
Engineering Services	642	544
Limited-Service Restaurants	430	473
Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services	405	344
Employment Placement Agencies	387	324
Other General Government Support	386	406
Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	341	452
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• While hospitals remain the top hirer despite a slight year-over-year decrease, the semiconductor manufacturing sector increased suddenly with over 500 added postings compared to last year. Other industries with high postings included Employment Placement Agencies and Engineering Services.

Figure 5.

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southwestern Idaho	Median duration, Jun-26 (days)	Unique postings, Jun-26
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	33	194
Mental Health Counselors	33	157
Nursing Assistants	33	157
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	32	880
Civil Engineers	31	177
Personal Care Aides	31	266
Cooks, Restaurant	29	173
Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	28	156
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	27	238
Construction Managers	26	304
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• The list of hardest-to-fill occupations shifted this month. Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, Mental Health Counselors and Nursing Assistants tied for the longest duration at 33 days during June. Reflecting the labor market demand, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers appeared as both a top 10 in-demand occupation and a top 10 hardest-to-fill occupation in June, taking an average of 32 days to hire.

Regional news

• The Claremont Fire in the Boise Foothills burned 6,817 acres with Boise County receiving up to level three evacuation orders during early stages. As of July 19, the fire was 84% contained. Closures will remain until Aug. 1 for Bureau of Land Management areas between 8th St., Rocky Canyon Road and Boise Ridge Road. Source: Idaho News 6

Ada County

• The Ada County Jail kicked off a $20 million expansion project to address overcrowding and modernization needs as its daily inmate population consistently surpasses 1,000 people. Funded by money previously set aside by the county, this first phase focuses on a major overhaul of the jail’s outdated kitchen, which currently stretches past its intended capacity to prepare roughly 4,000 meals a day. While construction crews install a temporary trailer kitchen and a permanent secure corridor, the upgrade will integrate new technology to maximize cooking efficiency rather than just expanding the room’s footprint. The first phase is scheduled for completion by July 2027, laying the groundwork for potential future phases, including additional inmate housing pods and a new booking area, once further funding is secured. Source: Idaho News 6

• Boise Airport received $74 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants to continue growth. The funding comes from three grants including a grant to support reconstruction of a parallel runway ($59.4 million), a grant to add a visual guidance system to the reconstructed runway to help with landings ($4.9 million) and another grant to help complete construction of aircraft apron for the future Concourse A ($9.6 million). This will increase aircraft parking to allow better service to the Boise area. Source: Idaho Press

• The Ada County Sheriff’s Office has officially transitioned to a new emergency notification system called “Ada Alert,” replacing its previous platform, CodeRED, which recently suffered a data breach. Launched during an active wildfire season, the upgraded system is engineered to deliver critical safety notices, such as wildfire evacuations, severe weather warnings and alerts for missing vulnerable adults. Source: Idaho News 6

Canyon County

• The Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho, has received a $500,000 grant from the Borbonus Family Foundation to support veterans and military community initiatives. This funding aligns with the museum’s mission to preserve military history and serve as a gathering and healing space for veterans, particularly complementing their recent expansion dedicated to honoring those who served in the Global War on Terror. Source: Idaho News 6

Gem County

• Gem County commissioners approved a 393-acre gravel mining project known as Merrill’s Pit near Star Lane in Emmett. The project, proposed by Granite Excavation, faced pushback from local residents organized under the Southwest Gem Community Association, who raised concerns over dropping property values, heavy traffic, dust pollution and potential disruptions to local wildlife. Despite setbacks, the project was ultimately greenlit with a lifespan spanning up to 20 years, after which the developer plans to reclaim the land by leaving behind roughly 40 homes and a series of reclaimed ponds. Source: Idaho News 6

Payette County

• Payette County Paramedics, a small ambulance district that serves a county of nearly 26,000 people, is down to only one active ambulance due to rising costs but not rising revenue. Roughly 11% of 911 medical emergencies are handled by other county paramedics as Payette can’t keep up with time sensitive emergency response times. Attempts to secure further funding have missed the mark granting one-time funds rather than long-term cost solutions. Source: BoiseDev

Washington County

• Washington County has been awarded $1,202,542 in 2026 Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding. Announced on June 23 by the U.S. Department of the Interior, this allocation is part of a broader $733 million national distribution. These annual funds are designed to help local governments recoup property tax revenue lost on non-taxable, federally managed lands. Source: Weiser Signal American

Regional openings

• Xin Chao, a Vietnamese restaurant, will be opening in Meridian.

• First Watch opened a third location in Meridian.

• A Republic Services owned landfill opened in Elmore County.

• Middleton dedicated pickleball courts opened at Middleton Place Park.

• Sushi Sushi opened a second location in Meridian.

• Neighbor Tim’s BBQ will be opening in Meridian.

• The Edit Idaho, a new thrift store, opened in Caldwell.

• Swig soda shop, known for mixed drinks, opened in Meridian.

• The Sandbox Place, an indoor sandbox and party room, opened in Nampa.

• Gather Brewing Co. opened in Boise.

• Visionkit Studio, a video production company, opened in Garden City.

• Men’s District, a men’s clothing store, opened in Boise Towne Square.

• The Scent Bar, selling designer fragrances, opened in Boise Towne Square.

• Concentra officially announced the opening of its Idaho medical center in Boise’s Federal Way Plaza to service local workforce health needs.

• Cán Coctelería, a cocktail-forward speakeasy, serving elevated Mexican fare has officially opened in downtown Boise’s historic Smith Block building.

Regional closings

• Wok-Inn Noodle, a Chinese restaurant, in Boise temporarily closed for repair.

• White Rabbit in Boise is permanently closed.

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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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