Regional news

Southwestern developments for May were prepared by Labor Economist Brandon Duong.

Regional labor market information

Figure 1.

Southwestern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data	Apr-26 (P)	Mar-26 (R)	Apr-25 (B)
Civilian labor force	486,399	488,353	492,814
Total employment	468,938	471,442	475,465
Unemployment	17,461	16,911	17,349
Percentage of labor force unemployed	3.6%	3.5%	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 about 3,000 people. This is partly due to new input in the population data that models total labor force. This likely means that a combination lower than expected population contributed to the region’s drop in labor force. It also resulted in a reduction year over year in employment and unemployment.

Figure 2.

Southwestern Idaho job postings	Apr-26	Apr-25
Unique postings	28,057	25,248
Days posted	23	24
Number of employers	4,164	3,945
Median hourly wage	$28.52	$28.00
Percentage of postings with advertised wage	49%	51%
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Unique postings and wages increased while the duration of postings decreased.

Figure 3.

Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho	Postings, Apr-26	Postings, Apr-25
Registered Nurses	814	948
Retail Salespersons	640	697
Software Developers	620	455
Customer Service Representatives	571	496
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	547	490
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	477	426
Medical and Health Services Managers	390	384
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	384	294
Computer Occupations, All Other	382	331
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	378	354
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Registered Nurses topped the list for job postings in April along with Retail Salespersons and Software Developers.

Figure 4.

Top 10 industries by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho	Postings, Apr-26	Postings, Apr-25
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	2,388	1,657
Engineering Services	819	600
Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	708	530
Semiconductor and Related Device Manufacturing	654	341
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (Eexcept Convenience) Stores	580	538
Limited-Service Restaurants	467	500
Other General Government Support	463	576
Elementary and Secondary Schools	442	617
Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services	312	247
Full-Service Restaurants	306	271
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• Hospital hiring among the occupations was reflected in industry postings with around 700 added postings year over year. Other industries with high postings included Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers and Engineering Services.

Figure 5.

Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southwestern Idaho	Median duration, Apr-26 (days)	Unique postings, Apr-26
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	59	5
Surgeons, All Other	59	15
Sound Engineering Technicians	59	9
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians	58	9
Radiologists	57	8
Forest and Conservation Technicians	56	7
Nurse Anesthetists	55	17
Set and Exhibit Designers	55	2
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers	54	28
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare	53	11
Source: The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine

• There were no hard to fill occupations that also showed up in the most in demand occupation table.

Regional news

Ada County

• Idaho Holdings LLC submitted an application to annex 200 acres in northwestern Meridian for residential and industrial development. This is part of a wider proposed development called The Fields which would expand to 480 acres with 1,000 planned residential units, 50 acres of industrial land and some commercial development. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Construction began for The District on Ten Mile in Meridian under the developer Tommy Ahlquist. Currently being built are two industrial buildings, a law-enforcement focused daycare and a gym. Plans include future storefronts for Target, Panera Bread, Zao Asian Grill, Taco Bell and others. There are also plans for 400 townhomes. Source: Idaho Statesman

• The Whitewater Park land has been cleared by Boise City Council for townhome construction. This zoning change comes as the Boise housing market made affordable housing development untenable. Homes would have been in the $500,000 to $800,000 cost range while the new planned townhouses would be more affordable. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Brighton Development submitted a plan to the city of Meridian to develop 570 units in zones with varying density. The plan is currently in its preliminary phase and may soon move forward with a formal application. Source: Boise Dev

• The Meridian city council approved the annexation of 70 acres of farmland for residential and commercial development. The current plan, submitted by 5B Holdings, allocates 25 acres to commercial and 48 acres to residential development. Source: Idaho Statesman

• Wahooz Family Fun Zone off Interstate 84 is adding a 52,000 square foot expansion. The new section will feature a go-kart track and 72 karts. The new center will break ground in July with plans to open in October. Source: Idaho Statesman

• The Boardwalk in Garden City is opening new restaurants. Apex Brand Collection will revamp offerings as Bao Boi and Tim’s Burgers closed last year. New additions include a bar, taco place and a sports bar. Source: Boise Dev

• The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is poised to supply Micron with new technicians for its Boise fabrication plant opening in 2027. CWI’s mechatronics program grew from 16 students per semester in 2022 to 40 in 2026. The program’s enrollees then have a pathway into Micron’s Registered Apprenticeship program for hands-on training. These technicians make up a majority of the jobs at the facility according to Shijuade Kadree the Micron Senior Director of Culture and Workforce Strategies. Source: Boise Dev

• The combined AC Hotel Boise Downtown and Element by Marriott Boise Downtown opened. The 296-room facility is now the largest in Boise. The hotels have shared amenities like a gym and a rooftop restaurant. Source: Boise Dev

Valley County

• Resolution Minerals is looking to start an exploratory drilling operation for stibnite. The project would expand Resolution’s operations in the region like the existing Yellow Pine Exploration site and the Golden Gate Hill which has already bored 14 holes. Additionally, the company has already purchased the nearby Johnson Creek Mill which will also require assessments before it is operational. Source: Valley Lookout

• The McCall City Council issued a letter requesting that Valley County request more details on the Woodlands 3 project from the Developer Donnelly. The 90-acre parcel is outside of McCall city limits, would be difficult to connect with city roads and could impact traffic. According to 2025 state law changes, the city no longer has jurisdiction on the proposed project, so the decision rests in Valley County. Source: Valley Lookout

Regional openings

• Cactus Southwest Kitchen + Bar will open in Downtown Boise.

• Ritual Wellness opened a café extension in Boise.

• Salt & Straw ice cream opened in Meridian.

• Tee Up Indoor Golf opened in Meridian.

• 36th St. Event Center opened in Garden City.

• Sourdough & Sage opened in Eagle.

• Zao Asian Grill opened in Meridian.

• The Dress Collective, a consignment bridal shop, opened on the Boise Bench.

• First Watch diner in Meridian is opening in the old Denny’s.

• The STIL ice cream is opening in Eagle next to Bumble Coffee.

• Reverent Hats opened in Downtown Boise.

• Baby Maven Boutiqueopened in Meridian.

• Happy Teriyaki opened in Boise.

• 7 Brew will be opening in Meridian.

Regional closings

• Chicken Out closed in Nampa.

• Coiled Wines tasting room closed in Garden City.

• The North Face in Downtown Boise is up for lease as they plan to move to Meridian.

• Eastside Tavern in southeastern Boise closed.

• Whiskey Bar on Main Street in Boise closed.

• The Griddle in Meridian will close and reopen at a different location.

• Dong Khanh Vietnamese Restaurantclosed in Boise.

• Fiesta Guadalajara in Eagle 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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