News
Regional labor market information
Figure 1.| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in south central Idaho | Postings, Apr-25 | Postings, Apr-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 142 | 92 |
| Registered nurses | 118 | 126 |
| Retail salespersons | 101 | 138 |
| Customer service representatives | 70 | 65 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 59 | 60 |
| Farmworkers, laborers, crop, nursery and greenhouse | 57 | 30 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 56 | 46 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 54 | 51 |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | 43 | 41 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 39 | 37 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | ||
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in south central Idaho | Postings, Apr-25 | Postings, Apr-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 416 | 345 |
| Health care and social assistance | 403 | 448 |
| Retail trade | 357 | 431 |
| Finance and insurance | 302 | 108 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 186 | 153 |
| Construction | 137 | 109 |
| Wholesale trade | 126 | 128 |
| Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services | 122 | 122 |
| Educational services | 100 | 42 |
| Accommodation and food services | 90 | 85 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | ||
- Construction, educational services, finance and insurance job postings increased 25%, 138% and 179% respectively over the year. Health care, social assistance and retail trade decreased 10% and 17% respectively.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in south central Idaho | Days to fill, Apr-25 | Days to fill, Apr-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical technologists | 59 | N/A |
| Anesthesiologists | 56 | N/A |
| Occupational therapy assistants | 56 | N/A |
| Labor related specialists | 55 | N/A |
| Financial managers | 54 | 31 |
| Conservation scientists | 50 | N/A |
| Chemical equipment operators and tendors | 50 | N/A |
| Cardiologists | 50 | 42 |
| Property, real estate and community association managers | 49 | N/A |
| Computer network architects | 49 | N/A |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | ||
Regional news
Cassia County
- The Bank of Commerce had its grand opening in Burley. Source: Magic Valley Times News
Gooding County
- The Gooding Pro Rodeo is adding some new upgrades before its 100-year anniversary this year. One hundred and twenty-five new seats will be added, in addition to installing jumbotrons for better viewing. Source: KMVT
Twin Falls County
- St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center is working with the College of Southern Idaho to create a part-time registered nursing program. It would take a student an additional year to complete, but their work can be done in the evenings and their clinical on the weekends. This program will help those with current work schedules or child care issues to be able to work towards a new path in a way that works for them. Source: KMVT
- St. Luke’s Health System opened a retail pharmacy in Twin Falls, which can be used whether you are a St. Luke’s patient or not. Source: Magic Valley Times News
- Sierra, an outdoor and activewear product retailer, has opened in Twin Falls. Source: Magic Valley Times News
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
- Labor force estimates for April 2025 from the Idaho Department of Labor’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics had total employment increasing and total unemployment decreasing in the seven-county southeastern region. Seasonally adjusted, April’s preliminary estimates have labor force participants increasing by 548 people, with 719 more employed people and 171 less unemployed people. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 3.5%, which decreased 0.2% from March 2025 and stayed the same in April 2024.
| Southeastern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data | Apr-25 (P) | Mar-25 (R) | Apr-24 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 87,935 | 87,387 | 86,489 |
| Total employment | 84,889 | 84,170 | 83,426 |
| Unemployment | 3,046 | 3,217 | 3,063 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 3.5% | 3.7% | 3.5% |
| Source: Idaho Department of Labor | P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked | ||
- In April 2025 there were 1,452 unique online job postings in the southeastern Idaho labor market area, which decreased 4% from the prior month at 1,512 and increased 2% over the year at 1,428. The median job posting duration was 30 days, which decreased by one day from March and increased six days compared to April 2024.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Apr-25 | Postings, Apr-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 60 | 67 |
| Retail salespersons | 55 | 84 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 46 | 45 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 34 | 15 |
| Coaches and scouts | 31 | 1 |
| Customer service representatives | 31 | 28 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 26 | 18 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 25 | 27 |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | 22 | 9 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 20 | 33 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- The top occupational families by unique online job postings in southeastern Idaho for April were health care and transportation. Among specific occupations include registered nurses (60), retail sales (55) and truck drivers (46). Job postings for coaches and scouts increased to 31 — a notable increase from one posting in 2024.
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Apr-25 | Postings, Apr-24 |
|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 172 | 146 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 67 | 59 |
| College, universities and professional schools | 60 | 68 |
| Other general government support | 57 | 30 |
| Engineering services | 43 | 7 |
| Supermarkets and other grocery retailers (except convenience retailers) | 41 | 28 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | 34 | 6 |
| Frozen fruit, juice and vegetable manufacturing | 32 | 19 |
| Lessors of other real estate property | 32 | 40 |
| Automotive parts and accessories retailers | 27 | 21 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Health care, social assistance, retail, trade and manufacturing are at the top of broadly defined industries by unique online job postings in April. This includes general medical and surgical hospitals, supermarkets, frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing. Engineering postings increased substantially year over year as did elementary schools and general hospitals. Colleges, universities and professional schools — as well as lessors of other real estate property — saw some small decreases in postings year over year.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southeastern Idaho | Median duration, Apr-25 | Unique postings, Apr-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Security guards | 58 | 3 |
| Tire repairers and changers | 56 | 7 |
| Speech-language pathologists | 56 | 3 |
| Dining room, cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | 53 | 6 |
| Instructional coordinators | 53 | 2 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 52 | 1 |
| First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service and groundskeeping workers | 48 | 2 |
| First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers | 47 | 11 |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners | 47 | 4 |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | 46 | 5 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Based on the hiring challenges by median number of days an occupational job posting is listed, security guards (58), tire changers (56), speech pathologists (56) and cafeteria attendants (53) stood out. Of these top hardest-to-fill occupations, none of them were in the top 10 for most in demand. Food preparation supervisors had 11 job postings which were the most unique from the list.
| County housing data, April 2025 | Median listing price | Month over month price change | Median days on the market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock | $422,500 | 3.05% | 53 | 237 |
| Bear Lake | $604,000 | 0.83% | 62 | 61 |
| Bingham | $452,500 | 0.00% | 57 | 115 |
| Caribou | $388,500 | -6.95% | 52 | 31 |
| Franklin | $507,495 | -7.73% | 43 | 53 |
| Oneida | $392,975 | 9.46% | 152 | 21 |
| Power | $445,000 | 7.23% | 59 | 21 |
| Source: Realtor.com Economic Research | ||||
- In April, Bear Lake County continued its upward price trend, but didn’t get near 46% from last month. Regardless, this county continues to have the highest median price in the southeastern region. Price changes across the board weren’t as noticeable with the greatest increase in Oneida County at 9.46% and a decrease in Franklin County at 7.73%. Franklin County was also the hottest market with a median of 43 days on the market. The county with the longest median time on the market was still Oneida at 152 days. Caribou County had the lowest median price of $388,500.
Regional news
- US Bank in Montpelier, Malad and Blackfoot are slated to close. Source: The News Examiner
Bannock County
- Some Walmart stores in Bannock County, along with stores in Texas and Kentucky, have begun selling Lava Hot Springs Inn Mineral Water. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Idaho State University’s College of Business received a $3,000,000 endowment from an anonymous donor. The college plans to invest in things like scholarships, class activities and renovations. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Pocatello Animal Services closed temporarily due to the detection of canine parvovirus. Source: KPVI News
- The Portneuf Valley Technical Education and Career Campus had its ribbon cutting after finishing renovations. Partially operating since 2023, the campus will soon operate at full capacity. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Pocatello Rotary Club issued a $1,166 grant to the Idaho Food Bank in Pocatello. Source: KPVI News
- The Portneuf Valley Farmers Market began its season, bringing fresh food, art and music once again to Pocatello. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Phil Meador Subaru issued a $16,500 grant to the Bannock Humane Society. This comes at a time known as “kitten season” to the organization where expenses are up as the inflow of new kittens and the cost of fixing them increase. The grant will also help pay for other general medical expenses and food. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Pedal Fest Inc., a trail maintenance nonprofit, was reconstituted into the Portneuf Valley Trails Alliance. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Thunderbird Motel in Pocatello has new ownership. Siblings of the Robertson family hope to shake off the motel’s negative reputation and transform it into affordable housing. Source: East Idaho News
- Premier Eye Care held a groundbreaking in Chubbuck for its new clinic. Construction is expected to be completed by February 2026. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Lava Elementary in Lava Hot Springs closed due to low enrollment. Staff and teachers have moved forward with a plan to turn the elementary into a charter school. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Brindle Up Hope, a nonprofit horse ranch for girls and women, held a ribbon cutting. The ranch hopes to help women and girls over the age of 11 to learn to care for a horse. Source: KPVI News
- Homefire Comfort Foods is a new barbecue food truck open in Pocatello. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Bingham Healthcare opened a new tele-pharmacy. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Mike’s Music, Petersen Inc. and Sumisu Sushi all closed in Pocatello. Source: East Idaho News, Idaho State Journal
Bear Lake County
- Bear Lake Middle School in the city of Montpelier was recognized as an Idaho STEM Designated School. It was listed as one of 12 schools statewide and was the only public middle school to receive the accreditation. Source: The News Examiner
- Bear Lake High School won its sixth consecutive welding competition for the annual Idaho State University Rocky Mountain Welding Shootout. Source: The News Examiner
Bingham County
- The Blackfoot Animal Shelter opened. The new facility will be able to house 65 dogs and 40-50 cats. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Shoshone Bannock Community Health Center broke ground on its new clinic. The clinic will replace the current clinic and will include an in-house pharmacy, exam rooms, labs and physical therapy. Source: KPVI News
- Zions Bank issued a $2,000 grant to purchase “Halo Swivel Bassinets” at the Grove Creek Medical Center. This enables newborns to sleep safely near their mothers at the hospital. Source: Idaho State Journal
Franklin County
- Strawberry Canyon had a controlled burn as part of the Vegetation Enhancement Project. The burn will improve forest health and resilience by reducing foliage density, while also reducing built-up sticks and leaves that can serve as fuel for an uncontrolled forest fire. Source: News Examiner
- The Children’s Developmental Disability Center purchased a new bus from a donation campaign that successfully raised $25,000. The bus will replace the old bus that experienced a breakdown. Source: The Preston Citizen
Oneida County
- The Oneida County Pioneer Museum is holding a fundraising campaign to finance remodeling and preservation for their 1914 building. Source: Idaho Enterprise
Power County
- The CEO of Power County Hospital, Dallas Clinger, announced his retirement after 19 years. Source: The Power County Press
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
Southwestern Idaho’s single-family home sales – March 2024 and 2025
| Median price sold | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | $565,000 | $560,000 | 0.9% |
| Adams | $365,000 | $322,500 | 13.2% |
| Boise | $625,800 | $568,000 | 10.2% |
| Canyon | $424,990 | $413,395 | 2.8% |
| Elmore | $357,990 | $349,950 | 2.3% |
| Gem | $384,950 | $397,950 | -3.3% |
| Owyhee | $559,995 | $350,000 | 60.0% |
| Payette | $363,950 | $389,000 | -6.4% |
| Valley | $895,000 | $814,000 | 10.0% |
| Washington | $320,250 | $334,867 | -4.4% |
| Source: Intermountain Multiple Listing Service | |||
Figure 1b.
| Days on market | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | 46 | 48 | -4.2% |
| Adams | 143 | 81 | 76.5% |
| Boise | 37 | 49 | -24.5% |
| Canyon | 53 | 50 | 6.0% |
| Elmore | 56 | 55 | 1.8% |
| Gem | 51 | 79 | -35.4% |
| Owyhee | 86 | 63 | 36.5% |
| Payette | 74 | 63 | 17.5% |
| Valley | 113 | 67 | 68.7% |
| Washington | 86 | 27 | 218.5% |
| Regional average days | 75 | 58 | 28.0% |
| Source: Intermountain Multiple Listing Service | |||
Figure 1c.
| Inventory | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | 1,547 | 1,264 | 22.4% |
| Adams | 29 | 23 | 26.1% |
| Boise | 74 | 58 | 27.6% |
| Canyon | 1,046 | 818 | 27.9% |
| Elmore | 118 | 69 | 71.0% |
| Gem | 106 | 65 | 63.1% |
| Owyhee | 24 | 16 | 50.0% |
| Payette | 97 | 94 | 3.2% |
| Valley | 106 | 79 | 34.2% |
| Washington | 39 | 53 | -26.4% |
| Regional totals | 3,186 | 2,539 | 25.5% |
| Source: Intermountain Multiple Listing Service | |||
Figure 1d.
| Total homes sold | 2025 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | 675 | 648 | 4.2% |
| Adams | 1 | 2 | -50.0% |
| Boise | 17 | 6 | 183.3% |
| Canyon | 391 | 377 | 3.7% |
| Elmore | 27 | 26 | 3.8% |
| Gem | 26 | 30 | -13.3% |
| Owyhee | 8 | 7 | 14.3% |
| Payette | 24 | 25 | -4.0% |
| Valley | 18 | 17 | 5.9% |
| Washington | 9 | 6 | 50.0% |
| SW sold and % change | 1,196 | 1,144 | 4.5% |
| Source: Intermountain Multiple Listing Service | |||
| Southwestern Idaho job postings | Mar-24 | Mar-25 | % change | # change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unique postings | 10,118 | 10,614 | 4.9% | 496 |
| Days posted | 10 | 11 | 10.0% | 1 |
| Number of employers | 2,901 | 3,089 | 6.5% | 188 |
| Advertised wage | $23.48 | $29.72 | 26.6% | $6.24 |
| Share wage advertisements | 44% | 49% | 11.4% | 5% |
| Source: Help Wanted Online data via Lightcast |
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southwestern Idaho | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-24 | Year over year % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales representatives, wholesale, manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | 243 | 230 | 5.7% |
| Registered nurses | 328 | 353 | -7.1% |
| Customer service representatives | 204 | 175 | 16.6% |
| Retail salespersons | 253 | 297 | -14.8% |
| Software developers | 206 | 163 | 26.4% |
| Trailer-tractor truck drivers | 186 | 125 | 48.8% |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 130 | 189 | -31.2% |
| Project management specialists | 151 | 116 | 30.2% |
| Waiters and waitresses | 99 | 80 | 23.8% |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 102 | 94 | 8.5% |
| Source: Help Wanted Online data via Lightcast |
Regional news
- On April 1, Lucky Peak Reservoir began filling its 45-mile canal system that feeds irrigation water to approximately 165,000 acres of Treasure Valley farms, serving five irrigation districts. Producers were able to tap into the full system starting mid-April. The Boise River basin shows the reservoir storage volume was 95% of normal capacity. The Payette system was 93% of its normal capacity. According to the USDA National Resources Conservation Service, hydrologists are optimistic that many irrigators across the state will have sufficient water this growing season. The Southern Snake River basins are at 100-120% of normal capacity, with the Owyhee basin at 185% of normal capacity.
- Idaho Power has filed with the Public Utility Commission requesting a 5.89% rate cut for all Idaho customers and a 5.87% rate cut for irrigators. This reduction is based on anticipation of a good water year resulting in more low-cost hydroelectricity. The New York Canal has started an $81.5 million rehabilitation project affecting a six-mile stretch. The project will be completed by 2030 with $50 million of American Rescue Plan Act monies shortening the original timeframe. The water depth will be restored to its original depth, dirt will be compacted and a polyester liner with a 50-year life will be installed. Source: Capital Press and KTVB News
- Both Tamarack and Brundage ski hills closed for the season per the terms of its lease with the Forest Service in mid-April. Bogus Basin extended its season by a week because it continued to have groomed runs. It received tremendous snowfall this past season — an estimated 297 inches. Its base depth is 358% of its average for this time of year. Source: Idaho News 6
Ada County
- The College of Western Idaho (CWI) is partnering with a local developer to build a downtown Boise campus. The programs offered at the Boise campus will include computer science, cybersecurity and business. The mixed-use development will include housing, hotel and retail mingled with the college building. The completion date is estimated to be fall 2027. The new campus will free up some funds that were directed at leasing multiple space in Nampa. The CWI component is about 101,000 square feet. Source: Idaho Business Review
- Idaho Power agreed to pay a settlement of $800,000 towards mitigating the impact of the Valley Fire in Boise’s eastern foothills last fall. A power line touched the dry ground, causing the fire which burned 9,904 acres, including part of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. It is home to more than 300 species of animals, is a migratory path for elk and deer between summer and winter seasons, along with an important winter range protected from nearby development. The money will go towards repairing and replanting habitat by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, which does not have a budget line item for wildfire reparations. Source: Idaho Capital Sun
- The family of Dallas and Alta Harris donated its geothermal water rights to the city of Boise. There are four systems serving Boise including: one at the statehouse, the world’s first geothermal system in 1892 that continues to feed the mansions along Warm Springs Avenue, the Boise VA Medical Center has its own smaller system and a system that provides energy to 100 downtown Boise buildings. The city currently pumps 385 million gallons annually, so with the new donation output will increase to 1.5 billion gallons annually. The family donated 7.2 cubic feet per second of geothermal water and kept .2 cubic feet for personal use. The water is delivered at 170 degrees and the city’s system currently covers 6.5 million square feet. It is pumped out of deep wells at Military Reserve. Source: Idaho Statesman
- Boise State University President Marlene Tromp accepted the presidency position at University of Vermont where she will be the 28th president. She has been at Boise State University since the summer of 2019 and faced many challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Board of Education begins the task of searching nationally for a replacement. Source: KTVB News
- The Idaho Air National Guard deployed 300 Airmen to Jordan from the 124th Fighter Wing. The group is tasked with supporting combat and peacekeeping operations. The wing’s airplane is an A-10 Thunderbolt II. The wing commander mentioned the large number of young people that were pilots, maintenance personnel and other support personnel headed for their first deployment – the group has a scheduled return within 180 days. Source: KTVB News
- West Ada School District announced the hiring of 17 deans to track students’ academic progress, effectively reducing strain on principals with primary leadership duties requiring their attention. There had been temporary interns relieving some of the strain on principals. Those positions will be replaced with the permanent administrators and the budget will be redirected to enhance recruitment of the higher skilled administrators. Source: Idaho Education News
Canyon County
- Caldwell’s airport will soon have a 116-foot control tower. The city applied for funding from the Federal Aviation Administration requesting $21 million toward the control tower. Caldwell’s airport is the largest in terms of aircraft landings and takeoffs without a control tower. The airport handles nearly 150,000 flights in and out annually. The city will need to contribute 10% of the cost. Source: Idaho News 6
- Nampa School District is starting to assess its transition to a four-day school week. This first year has seen many changes, including a new student transportation provider after 64 years with Brown Bus Company. First Student, the new bus company, was initially criticized for getting students to school late and for students not getting on the correct bus after school, resulting in frequent late home arrivals. The shorter week is compensated for by longer days which is being reconsidered for the elementary students who start school at 8:51 a.m. with dismissal at 4:21 p.m. Scores improved last fall with the Idaho Reading Indicator moving from 59% to 61%. The spring scores for standardized testing have not been released. Source: Idaho Education News
- The Caldwell School Board approved a memorandum of understanding with St. Luke’s Healthcare System for a traveling pediatric clinic to provide care at four of its elementary schools. The clinic is funded by a five-year United Way Treasure Valley Rural Expansion Grant. The clinic will take appointments and provide access to pre-school siblings of existing students. The schools include Lewis and Clark, Sacajawea, Washington and Wilson elementary schools. The clinic is not free, running visits through parents’ insurance. Still, there is an assistance fund for those in need. Offering these services at the schools is a national trend that is on the rise. Boise and Nampa have mobile clinics, also. Momentum grew after a sample survey of parents identified a 25% interest in these services. Source: Idaho Press
- The Church of Latter-day Saints announced they will build a temple in Caldwell, making it the third temple in the Treasure Valley. Idaho’s total number of temples with the Caldwell addition brings its total to 11. Source: Idaho Press
Elmore County
- A new casino has been proposed by the Duck Valley Shoshone-Paiute tribe on land with ancestral ties. The development off I-84 between Mountain Home and Boise must first be approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the State of Idaho. The Sho-Pai formed a partnership with the Coeur d’Alene tribe who purchased the 561 acres of ground and agreed to give it to the Sho-Pai. They will collaborate in design, operations and funding. The Tribe’s reservation is located on the state line between Idaho and Nevada. Its members have experienced high levels of poverty and unemployment with housing and infrastructure lacking or in need of repair. The tribal leadership believes tribal gaming will provide jobs along with funding for infrastructure. It will fend off the persistent poverty as has occurred with other tribes in Idaho and across the nation. Source: Idaho Statesman
Owyhee County
- A new mining company out of Canada is considering restarting an open pit gold and silver mine in Silver City. Integra aka DeLamar Mining Company submitted a revised mine plan to the Bureau of Land Management. The process for environmental review can take several years. Other mining projects in the region include: CuMo copper mine that has received approval to drill exploratorily near Idaho City and Perpetua near Yellow Pine is hoping to revive a gold and antimony open pit adjacent to the former Stibnite Mine. Source: Idaho Statesman
Valley County
- The city of Cascade plans to offer a geothermal water system to its residents. The new system would be called the Cascade Geothermal Heating and Cooling District Planning Project. Cascade currently has seven wells that access naturally heated water ranging between 50 and 90 degrees. The existing wells have the capacity to heat or cool the entire city. It is the infrastructure to distribute the water that needs additional funding beyond the $8.8 million block grant awarded to Cascade. The city plans to offer incentives to purchase heating pumps that will decrease costs over the long-term with the geothermal water reducing costs by two-thirds compared to electricity and propane heat. The final plan is scheduled for September 2026. Source: The Star-News
- Legacy Park will not offer rental boat operations onsite at Payette Lake this summer — the first time in years. The city council is reviewing whether a commercial operation should be allowed to earn money at a city park. The previous concessioner was Cheap Thrills Rentals with a permit dated from 2008-2024. Source: The Star-News
- The Roughnecks junior hockey team based out of Bakersfield, California, is moving to McCall and rebranding to the McCall Smokejumpers. The competitive junior hockey season starts in September. Previously, the Junior Steelheads played in McCall for nine years between 2009 and 2017. They called themselves the Idaho Ice Cats their final year. The league is established for players aged 16-20 who want to eventually play for a college team or professionally. Source: The Star-News
- Highway 95 from Council to New Meadows has re-opened one lane for use following repairs following a landslide. The Idaho Transportation Department has authorized two crews to work daily to expedite the process, which is expected to be fully completed this summer. Source: Idaho News 6
Groundbreakings
- The Middleton School District broke ground on its new building dedicated to Career Technical Education. The facility is located behind Middleton Middle School and is branded the Middleton Career Campus Construction Building. It will offer courses in construction and cabinetry combined with math and English courses adapted to careers in the trades. Completion is expected this fall. Source: CBS2 News
Openings
- The Idaho Air National Guard has opened a new medical training facility at Gowen Field. The $8 million clinic supports about 1,300 airmen while providing training to medics that assist with the care in Boise and while on missions. A federal Community Project Funding grant helped build the 10,550 square foot facility. Source: KTVB News
- Black Dog Bar opened in the former New Colony Beer Co. space and is operated by the former Piper Pub owner. It is open to both dogs and their dog owners. There are plans to eventually offer food. Source: Idaho Statesman
- Grand Canyon University opened its 16-month, accelerated Bachelor of Nursing program in Meridian. It is partnering with St. Alphonsus Health System to give students clinical experience. It is a private Christian institution based out of Phoenix. Source: Idaho Statesman
- Happy Teriyaki opened in the former Dickey’s Barbeque Pit location in Garden City. Source: Idaho Statesman
- Corso’s Italian Steak House opened in Boise at the site of many former restaurants including Murphy’s Seafood & Steakhouse, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Tap & Cask, Jalapeno’s Bar & Grill and back in the ‘80’s — The Ram. Source: Idaho Statesman
- Abercrombie and Fitch opened at the Village in Meridian. Source: BoiseDev
Closures
- Green’s Deli is closing its sandwich shop to focus more on its Green Acres Food Truck Park. Anesso’s will take over the space in May offering Italian sandwiches and salads. Its bread is sourced to its sister operation, Black Moon Pastries & Pizza restaurant which is located in Garden City. Source: Idaho Statesman
- Lemon Tree Co. closed its restaurant in southeast Boise due to staffing issues. It shared space with The STIL. It is continuing with its downtown sandwich shop and its rebranded café, The Grove by Lemon Tree Co. Source: Idaho Statesman
- The discount air carrier, Avelo Airlines, is ending its Boise commercial flights after winning a contract with the federal government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to fly deportees out of the country via Phoenix. The airline had a direct flight from Boise to the Sonoma County Airport. Source: Idaho Statesman
Layoffs
- The Meridian-based Scentsy, a multi-level marketing company offering direct mail wax warmers and candles, announced that it laid off 116 workers, about 11% of its total staff. Its news release commented the company had experienced an annual doubling of its sales during one of the pandemic years, which resulted in the hiring of 1,000 additional workers. Compensation packages were distributed based on years of service. Source: Idaho News 6
- Blue Cross of Idaho announced layoffs of 135 employees after losing a contract to cover dual enrollees of those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid coverage. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare chose to end its decade-long contract with Blue Cross of Idaho a year earlier than planned. The contract was awarded to United Healthcare and Molina Healthcare, both out-of-state insurers. The separations will start June 6 and wrap up by Oct. 1. Those losing their jobs include 40 clinical care coordinators, 36 care coordinators/operations specialists/care managers, 12 claims examiners/clinical support supervisors and others. Source: Idaho Press
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
- Labor force estimates for March 2025 from the Idaho Department of Labor’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics have total over-the-month employment decreasing with unemployment increasing in the nine-county eastern region. Seasonally adjusted, March preliminary estimates have labor force participants increasing by 86, with 298 fewer employed people and 384 more unemployed people. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the region increased to 3.4% since last month, 0.2 percentage points higher than February 2024.
| Eastern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data | Mar-25 (P) | Feb-25 (P) | Mar-24 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 131,942 | 131,856 | 133,623 |
| Total employment | 127,399 | 127,697 | 129,360 |
| Unemployment | 4,543 | 4,159 | 4,263 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked Source: Idaho Department of Labor |
|||
- There were an estimated 2,995 deduplicated job postings in the eastern Idaho labor market for March 2025, according to The Conference Board: Help Wanted Online. (This is regional online job postings data and not necessarily job openings data.) The 2,995 postings are a 0.7% decrease from 3,014 the prior month and a 14% increase from 2,584 year-over-year. Heavy and tractor-truck drivers replaced registered nurses in the top spot of unique job postings in the region for March. New to the top occupations by quantity of job postings this month were project management specialists. Employer hiring demand based on quantity of job postings increased 27% for truck drivers and 16% for civil engineers, then decreased 22% for registered nurses and 12% for farmworkers since last month.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in eastern Idaho, March 2025 | Postings |
|---|---|
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 135 |
| Registered nurses | 103 |
| Crop, nursery, greenhouse farmworkers and laborers | 76 |
| Retail salespersons | 75 |
| Customer service representatives | 62 |
| Physical therapists | 58 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 47 |
| Civil engineers | 44 |
| Project management specialists | 37 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 37 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | |
- Educational services replaced finance and insurance in the top five regional industries by quantity of job postings in March. Hiring demand based on total unique job postings increased over the month at 32% for educational services, 19% for accommodation and food service, 14% for administrative support and waste management, 12% for manufacturing and 5% for wholesale trade in the top industry categories. Hiring demand based on job postings decreased 68% in finance and insurance, 8% in public administration, 7% in health care and social assistance and 6% in professional, scientific and technical industries.
| Top industries by job unique postings in eastern Idaho, March 2025 | Postings |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 341 |
| Health care and social assistance | 332 |
| Retail trade | 284 |
| Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services | 258 |
| Educational services | 238 |
| Manufacturing | 233 |
| Wholesale trade | 166 |
| Construction | 134 |
| Finance and insurance | 93 |
| Public administration | 77 |
| Accommodation and food services | 74 |
| Utilities | 64 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- March hardest-to-fill occupations in eastern Idaho, by highest median job posting duration and multiple unique job postings, included customer service representatives, general and operations managers and sales representatives. Hardest-to-fill job posting challenges in March by occupational family were management and sales and related. All occupations except fishing and hunting workers, nursing assistants and inspectors were new to this month’s hardest-to-fill jobs list.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in eastern Idaho, March 2025 | Days to fill | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| General and operations managers | 53 | 31 |
| Fishing and hunting workers | 46 | 15 |
| Software developers | 42 | 22 |
| Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives | 39 | 30 |
| Nursing assistants | 38 | 22 |
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers | 38 | 21 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers | 38 | 15 |
| Occupational health and safety specialists | 37 | 18 |
| Customer service representatives | 35 | 62 |
| Accountants and auditors | 34 | 23 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Regional news
- Yellowstone National Park saw an increase in recreation visits in 2024, making it the second busiest year on record since 1904. Over 4.7 million people visited the park in 2024, a 5.4% increase from 2023. Source: National Park Service
- Idaho National Laboratory partnered with Idaho Power, which operates 17 hydroelectric projects, to analyze the economic and environmental impacts of integrating hydrogen production with hydropower plants. The project is funded by the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technology Office. Source: Idaho National Laboratory
- According to Natural Resources Conservation Services mountain data from SNOTEL, the six runoff basins that comprise eastern Idaho have an average year-to-date mountain snow water equivalent of 107% of median and average year-to-date precipitation of 91% of median. The forecast calls for 94% of average runoff April – July at Upper Snake basin. The entire Upper Snake River reservoir system is at 82% of capacity, which prompted Palisades Reservoir flood-control releases of excess water due to above-normal snowpack. Source: Natural Resources Conservation Services, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Bonneville County
- Gameday Men’s Health clinic opened in Ammon. Source: Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce
- Marco’s Pizza opened a second area restaurant in Idaho Falls. Source: Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce
- Dreamy Denz, a soft play party rental business, opened in Idaho Falls. Source: East Idaho News
- Rally to Rise Physical Therapy opened in Ammon. Source: East Idaho News
- AgeWell Connections, a supportive services establishment for aging customers, opened in Idaho Falls. Source: East Idaho News
- Grand Teton Mall in Idaho Falls will now showcase vendor markets from Idaho and other states. Events by Sydney, a Utah-based event management company, are contracted with the mall as a hub for handmade goods, artisan products, services and unique finds. Source: East Idaho News
- The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce announced ribbon cutting and/or groundbreaking ceremonies at Young Mazda, Gameday Men’s Health, Marco’s Pizza and CASA. These establishments either opened their doors within the past six months, moved to a new location due to expansion, or have remodeled or expanded their current location. Source: Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce
- Idaho Falls Festival of Trees donated $85,000 to Development Workshop Inc., a disability community resource provider. Source: The Post Register
Butte County
- The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality awarded $500,000 in drinking water construction funding to Butte City. Funds are intended to improve the distribution system, including adding valves, hydrants and water meters. Source: East Idaho News
Jefferson County
- The city of Rigby approved final plat and development for Magnolia Estates, a 12-lot subdivision. They also approved five-acre higher-density R-2 zoning for the construction of side-by-side homes by Grover Properties. Source: Jefferson Star
- The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners approved $80,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds to help West Jefferson Fire District construct a new $870,000 fire station. Source: Jefferson Star
Madison County
- Bargain Treasure Bins, a retailer, opened in Rexburg. Source: East Idaho News
- Sugarbeast, an ice cream and dessert shop, opened in Rexburg. Source: East Idaho News
- Snake River Strings Co. opened a fourth music studio, this time in Rexburg. Source: East Idaho News
- An exotic pet store, Custom Creatures Pet Club, opened in Rexburg. Source: East Idaho News
- Bravo 6, a flight school in Rexburg, has expanded. They now have five planes, multiple instructors, a flight simulator and mechanics. Students can obtain a private pilot’s license, train at the commercial level or train to be a flight instructor. Source: KIFI
Teton County
- The U.S. Forest Service and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest released an environmental impact statement (EIS) for Grand Targhee Resort’s proposed expansion – adjacent public lands would impact recreation, the environment and communities like Victor and Driggs. The EIS identifies four major expansion concerns: impacts to wildlife habitat, backcountry skiing, scenery and socioeconomic issues such as lack of affordable housing. Full expansion of the resort would reportedly increase both winter visitation by 33% and summer visitation by 68% in the next decade, compared to no development, creating over 600 full-time jobs. Source: USDA Forest Service
- The 70-year-old Pierre’s Theatre in Victor is being sold after re-opening four years ago. The seller hopes it will remain open for business as a community space for culture and entertainment. Source: Teton Valley News
- New West purchased 3,000 square feet of business space in Driggs. Source: Idaho Business Review
Eastern Idaho residential real estate statistics – March 2024 and 2025
- Home prices decreased during March by an average of $35,000 in seven of nine counties in the region. The median days eastern Idaho homes are sitting on the market, decreased by an average of five days over the month. Regional pending home sales saw little movement over the month, but a 13% decrease over the year. There has been little change in listings inventory regionwide since February.
| Median price sold | Mar-25 | Mar-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | $425,000 | $460,000 | -7.6% |
| Butte | $217,000 | $240,000 | -9.6% |
| Clark | $280,000 | $240,000 | 16.7% |
| Custer | $570,000 | $487,000 | 17.0% |
| Fremont | $745,000 | $714,000 | 4.3% |
| Jefferson | $510,000 | $562,000 | -9.3% |
| Lemhi | $500,000 | $679,000 | -26.4% |
| Madison | $439,500 | $417,000 | 5.4% |
| Teton | $947,000 | $843,500 | 12.3% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | |||
| Active listings (inventory) | Mar-25 | Mar-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | 341 | 233 | 46.4% |
| Butte | 9 | 14 | -35.7% |
| Clark | 3 | 1 | 200.0% |
| Custer | 25 | 25 | 0.0% |
| Fremont | 71 | 71 | 0.0% |
| Jefferson | 88 | 62 | 41.9% |
| Lemhi | 48 | 29 | 65.5% |
| Madison | 83 | 71 | 16.9% |
| Teton | 107 | 61 | 75.4% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | #Colspan# | #Colspan# | #Colspan# |
| Median days on market | Mar-25 | Mar-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | 49 | 37 | 32.4% |
| Butte | 158 | 136 | 16.2% |
| Clark | 32 | 15 | 113.3% |
| Custer | 163 | 149 | 9.4% |
| Fremont | 127 | 115 | 10.4% |
| Jefferson | 52 | 43 | 20.9% |
| Lemhi | 137 | 151 | -9.3% |
| Madison | 60 | 56 | 7.1% |
| Teton | 67 | 102 | -34.3% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | #Colspan# | #Colspan# | #Colspan# |
| Total homes pending sale | Mar-25 | Mar-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | 169 | 188 | -10.1% |
| Butte | 4 | 3 | 33.3% |
| Clark | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Custer | 7 | 2 | 250.0% |
| Fremont | 16 | 11 | 45.5% |
| Jefferson | 41 | 34 | 20.6% |
| Lemhi | 5 | 4 | 25.0% |
| Madison | 26 | 24 | 8.3% |
| Teton | 42 | 91 | -53.8% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | |||
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
- Labor force estimates for March 2025 from the Idaho Department of Labor’s Local Area Unemployment Statistics had total employment and total unemployment increasing in the seven-county southeastern region. Seasonally adjusted, March’s preliminary estimates have labor force participants increasing by 180 people, with 33 more employed people and 147 more unemployed people. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is 3.7%, a 0.2% increase from February 2025 and March 2024.
| Southeastern Idaho, seasonally adjusted data | Mar-25 (P) | Feb-25 (R) | Mar-24 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 87,471 | 87,291 | 86,295 |
| Total employment | 84,255 | 84,222 | 83,234 |
| Unemployment | 3,216 | 3,069 | 3,061 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 3.7% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Source: Idaho Department of Labor | P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked | ||
- In March 2025 there were 1,520 unique online job postings in the southeastern Idaho labor market area, which decreased 5.6% from the prior month at 1,439 postings and 4.7% over the year at 1,452 postings. The median job posting duration was 29 days, a decrease of six days from February and an increase of three days from March 2024.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 69 | 65 |
| Farmworkers, laborers, crop, nursery and greenhouse | 66 | 4 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 46 | 51 |
| Retail salespersons | 41 | 74 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 38 | 14 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 32 | 32 |
| Maintenance, repair workers and general | 27 | 23 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 26 | 25 |
| Customer service representatives | 25 | 30 |
| General and operations manager | 23 | 15 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- The top occupational families by unique online job postings in southeastern Idaho for March were health care, sales and management. Among specific occupations, were registered nurses (69), farmworkers (66) and truck drivers (46). Farmworkers continued to increase year over year, as the region experienced higher average temperatures and less snowfall than last year.
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 143 | 160 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 69 | 57 |
| Engineering services | 67 | 10 |
| Other general government support | 57 | 25 |
| College, universities and professional schools | 54 | 56 |
| Supermarkets and other grocery retailers (except convenience retailers) | 38 | 19 |
| Frozen fruit, juice and vegetable manufacturing | 35 | 18 |
| Limited-service restaurants | 29 | 21 |
| Commercial and institutional building construction | 27 | 34 |
| Other snack food manufacturing | 27 | 6 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Health care, social assistance, retail, trade and manufacturing are at the top of broadly defined industries by unique online job postings in March. This includes general medical and surgical hospitals, supermarkets, frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing. Engineering postings increased substantially year over year as did snack foods and government support. Colleges and commercial construction saw a small decrease in postings year over year along with hospitals which decreased by 17 postings. Yet again, this small decrease was not enough to change hospitals from their rank as the top hiring industry in the region.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southeastern Idaho | Median duration, Mar-25 | Unique postings, Mar-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers | 59 | 7 |
| Buyers and purchasing agents | 57 | 1 |
| Pharmacy technicians | 57 | 11 |
| Water, wastewater treatment plants and system operators | 57 | 4 |
| First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers | 56 | 7 |
| Community, social service specialists and all other | 56 | 6 |
| Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants | 54 | 1 |
| Insurance sales agents | 52 | 1 |
| Financial examiners | 52 | 1 |
| First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | 51 | 8 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Based on the hiring challenges by median number of days an occupational job posting is listed, mining engineers (59), purchasing agents (57), pharmacy technicians (57) and wastewater treatment operators (57) stood out. Of these top hardest-to-fill occupations, none of them were in the top 10 for most in demand.
| County housing data, March 2025 | Median listing price | Month over month price change | Median days on the market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock | $410,000 | 4.61% | 64 | 239 |
| Bear Lake | $599,000 | 45.83% | 59 | 49 |
| Bingham | $452,500 | 4.03% | 71 | 108 |
| Caribou | $417,500 | -3.91% | 52 | 28 |
| Franklin | $550,000 | -3.17% | 68 | 46 |
| Oneida | $359,000 | -12.69% | 150 | 16 |
| Power | $415,000 | 9.07% | 66 | 25 |
| Source: Realtor.com Economic Research | ||||
- In March, the biggest upward trend in prices came from Bear Lake County at a 46% median price increase since last month. This is because the county was at the lower end of market duration indicating a hotter market. The county with the longest median time on the market and lowest listing price was Oneida County at 150 days. Caribou County had the lowest median of 52 days on the market.
Regional news
Bannock County
- Idaho Central Credit Union held a groundbreaking for its Union Field House at the Mountain View Event Center. The fieldhouse will be a place for people to practice indoor soccer, baseball or lacrosse thanks to a $4,000,000 grant from the credit union. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Chubbuck Fire Department unveiled a new ladder truck thanks to a $500,000 grant from Idaho Central Credit Union. The new ladder can extend 100 feet and has a basket at the top to carry people up and down. Source: East Idaho News
- Idaho State University (ISU) continued its third year in a row for enrollment growth as it experienced a 2.9% increase year over year for its spring semester at 11,000 students. This is the largest undergraduate enrollment increase since Spring 2016. Source: ISU News
- Zoo Idaho of Pocatello opened its doors for the 2025 season. Source: KIFI News
- Big O Tires has been reopened as Sparks Tire Pros under the new ownership of Isabel Luna, a longtime employee. Source KPVI News
- Advantage Plus Federal Credit Union provided new scoreboards for the middle schools of the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. Source: KPVI News
Bear Lake County
- The Grounded Goat, a goat yoga studio, will be opening in Bear Lake Valley. Owner, Shelly Longfellow, will offer patrons the chance to experience yoga among goats — a viral internet trend. Source: The News Examiner
Bingham County
- Homestead Family Restaurant, open since 1989, closed its doors in late March. Source: East Idaho News
- Shoshone Bannock Tribal Fish and Game and the Fish and Wildlife Department reopened Interstate 15 after moving 120 elk. This comes as the herd ventured too close between exit 80 and 89, causing 50 elk to be hit and interrupting transit. Traffic was diverted to Highway 91 during the operation. Source: East Idaho News
Caribou County
- Work is progressing at the Caribou County Event Center. The $3,800,000 project will not only serve as a showroom during the county fair, but will also serve as a youth development, emergency medical services and firefighter hub during the off season. Source: East Idaho News
Franklin County
- Fades Barbershop opened in Preston on 30 S. State Street. Owner, Shailyn Garner, earned her barber license 15 years ago and hopes to provide affordable haircuts to Franklin and Cache County. Source: The Preston Citizen
Oneida County
- Exit 13 Antiques of Malad held a spring antique show. Source: The Idaho Enterprise
- The Nell J. Redfield Memorial Hospital hosted an Evening of the Arts fundraiser. Bidding opened for baskets assembled by local businesses to finance renovations and equipment for the hospital. Ahead of the event, Rocky Mountain Power gave a $5,000 grant for a new freezer for the hospital kitchen. Source: The Idaho Enterprise
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
Figure 1.| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in south central Idaho | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 148 | 149 |
| Farmworkers, laborers, crop, nursery and greenhouse | 145 | 49 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 142 | 107 |
| Retail salespersons | 91 | 115 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 67 | 24 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 65 | 63 |
| Stockers and order fillers | 62 | 34 |
| Customer service representatives | 61 | 62 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 55 | 49 |
| Maintenance, repair workers and general | 42 | 36 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | ||
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in south central Idaho | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 425 | 468 |
| Manufacturing | 385 | 338 |
| Retail trade | 340 | 395 |
| Finance and insurance | 290 | 105 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 198 | 123 |
| Construction | 152 | 91 |
| Wholesale trade | 124 | 106 |
| Accommodation and food services | 120 | 80 |
| Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services | 113 | 96 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 85 | 88 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | ||
Construction, professional, scientific, technical services, finance and insurance job postings increased 67%, 176% and 61% respectively over the year. Health care, social assistance and retail trade decreased 9.2% and 13.9% respectively.
Figure 3| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in south central Idaho | Days to fill, Mar-25 | Days to fill, Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators | 59 | 14 |
| Paramedics | 59 | N/A |
| Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics | 59 | N/A |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment | 58 | 3 |
| Pediatricians and general | 56 | N/A |
| Genetic counselors | 56 | N/A |
| Health care social workers | 55 | N/A |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | 53 | 15 |
| Pipelayers | 53 | N/A |
| Insurance sales agents | 52 | 42 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | ||
Regional news
Blaine County
- A 33,500 square foot Karl Malone Ford dealership has begun construction in Bellevue. Additionally, a Maverik gas station and convenience store is being built next to the dealership. Source: Idaho Mountain Express
Jerome County
- St. Luke’s Jerome Medical Center has expanded its ability to serve a larger population. Four patient rooms have been added to the center, increasing the maximum capacity from 10 to 15 patients. Source: KMVT
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional news
- Parent company Dollar Tree will sell Family Dollar to Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management. Family Dollar currently operates two locations in north central Idaho in Orofino and Grangeville. Transaction is expected to close by June 2025 and the future of the local stores is not yet known. Source: Washington Post, Family Dollar
- House Bill 425 was signed into law during the 2025 legislative session that appropriates Division of Public Works funds during fiscal year 2026. Approved projects within north central Idaho include $5.5 million in funding for construction of a new Idaho State Police District 2 facility and $8 million to construct a Joint Military Science and Veterans’ Assistance Center at the University of Idaho. Source: Idaho Legislature
- The American Rivers environmental organization designated the Clearwater River as the 7th most endangered river in the U.S. due to rising threats from logging, mining and potential future dams. Source: American Rivers
Nez Perce County
- The State Board of Education approved a request from Lewis-Clark State College to change its name to Lewis-Clark State University. The name change will then be considered by the Idaho Legislature and the college’s accrediting body and could become official by Spring 2026. Lewis-Clark State College’s academic programs range from professional certificates to graduate degrees. Source: Lewis-Clark State College
- Lewiston City Council amended city code that previously prohibited shipping containers to be repurposed accessory buildings within city limits. Source: Lewiston Tribune
- The United Methodist Church and the Nez Perce Tribe formally recognized the transfer of ownership of the historic church north of Lapwai to the tribe. Source: Nez Perce Tribe
- The Nez Perce Tribal Housing Authority acquired the former Thunderbird Gas Station in downtown Lapwai for future development supporting community growth and vitality. Source: Daily Fly
- The Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport has reduced Air Traffic Control Tower operating hours due to staffing shortages. Commercial flight schedules will continue as usual, but pilots of private planes need to be aware of the shortened hours. The airport will also be purchasing a new snowplow, having the taxiways resurfaced and terminating its shuttle service due to low use. Source: Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport
- The Lewiston school board approved a $9.2 million bid from Kenaston Corporation to construct the new high school ball fields, bleachers, restrooms and a new assembly shop at the DeAtley Tech Center. Projects will likely be completed by spring of 2027. Source: Lewiston Tribune
- Family Promise of Lewis-Clark Valley was awarded a $20,000 grant from Clayton Homes. Funds will be used to assist families into securing permanent housing. Source: Lewiston Tribune
- Axess Self Storage, owned by Merrell Enterprises, is building a 12-building facility to house 609 new storage units in Lewiston. Expected completion is expected in early fall 2025 and will be the 10th regional location for the company. Source: Lewiston Tribune
Idaho County
- The Animal Rescue Foundation opened a Resale Store in Grangeville featuring gently used clothing, accessories, jewelry and housewares. All proceeds will be used for local rescue programs as well as going toward the construction of the new animal shelter. Source: Idaho County Free Press
Latah County
- The United States Department of Agriculture cancelled a five-year, $59 million Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant awarded to University of Idaho for its Innovative Agriculture and Marketing Partnership project. The program’s focus was to reduce climate impact within the production of Idaho’s top commodities – potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley, hops, chickpeas and beef. The cancellation was a result of the revision of rules now stating that at least 65% of grant funds must go directly to producers compared to a requirement of at least 50% when the grant was awarded. University of Idaho will be reimbursed for all grant related expenses incurred through April 13 and the university is eligible to reapply to the grant program through June 20. Source: University of Idaho
- The Garden Lounge recently reopened in downtown Moscow after extensive renovations. Source: Lewiston Tribune
- The Moscow City Council voted to dissolve the Moscow Pathways Commission. Pathway issues will now be handled by the Moscow Transportation Commission or the Parks and Recreation Commission. Source: Lewiston Tribune
- After selling its building, the Appaloosa Museum and Heritage Center in Moscow will relocate to a new location by June 30. Source: Pullman Radio
Clearwater County
- Nearly 400 students from regional school districts attended the north central Idaho Workforce Exploration Day in Orofino. The event highlights careers that support local families and the natural resources within north central Idaho. Source: Clearwater Tribune
Openings
- Refuge Cigar Lounge, Moscow
- The Pilates Studio, Lewiston
- Mountain View Event Rentals, Grangeville
- Triangle Tavern, Grangeville
- Fresh Start Cleaning Solutions, Stites
- Sparky’s Driving and Delivery Service, Kooskia
Closings
- Wayback Café, Lewiston
- Pizza Factory, Kamiah
- U.S. Bank, Orofino
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
- Labor demand in northern Idaho was robust in March 2025, with a total of 2,077 unique job postings in the region. Job postings were elevated relative to both the previous month, with 1,876 postings in February 2025. Year over year, the region experienced 1,858 postings in March 2024. Unemployment decreased slightly to 4.4% in March, compared to 4.8% in February and 4.5% in March of 2024. Total employment and labor force both increased slightly year over year.
| Northern Idaho seasonally adjusted data | Mar-25 (P) | Feb-25 (R) | Mar-24 (B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian labor force | 131,883 | 133,076 | 129,023 |
| Total employment | 126,028 | 126,750 | 123,188 |
| Unemployment | 5,855 | 6,326 | 5,835 |
| % of labor force unemployed | 4.4% | 4.8% | 4.5% |
| Source: Idaho Department of Labor | P – Preliminary, R – Revised, B – Benchmarked |
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in northern Idaho | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 96 | 77 |
| Retail salespersons | 92 | 86 |
| Home health and personal care aides | 62 | 24 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 52 | 21 |
| Customer service representatives | 45 | 37 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 40 | 42 |
| Cashiers | 37 | 21 |
| Medical and health services managers | 31 | 28 |
| Fast food and counter workers | 30 | 40 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 29 | 11 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
| Top 10 industries by unique job postings in northern Idaho, March 2025 | Postings, Mar-25 | Postings, Mar-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 291 | 242 |
| Retail trade | 259 | 259 |
| Administrative and support services | 174 | 145 |
| Manufacturing | 108 | 120 |
| Accommodation and food services | 102 | 119 |
| Wholesale trade | 95 | 71 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 86 | 66 |
| Finance and insurance | 81 | 73 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 76 | 70 |
| Construction | 65 | 61 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in northern Idaho | Median duration Mar-25 | Median duration Mar-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Parts salespeople | 30 | N/A |
| Speech language pathologists | 26 | N/A |
| Correctional officer and jailers | 26 | N/A |
| Roofers | 25 | N/A |
| Veterinarians | 25 | N/A |
| Packaging, filling machine operators and tenders | 24 | N/A |
| Logisticians | 23 | N/A |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol and other recreational protective services workers | 23 | N/A |
| Middle school teachers, except special and Career Technical Education | 23 | N/A |
| Database architects | 21 | N/A |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Regional news
Kootenai County
- Hagadone Hospitality broke ground on the new Sherman Tower, which will be a 15-story expansion of the Coeur d’Alene Resort. The tower will feature 139 guest rooms in addition to nearly 10,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space. The opening is scheduled for the spring of 2027. Source: Coeur d’Alene Press
- Two new hotels are under construction in Kootenai County. In Coeur d’Alene, a Marriott-branded AC Hotel is now under construction, which will have 126 guest rooms and open in 2027. Work was previously underway on a 151-room Hyatt Place Hotel in Post Falls, which will open in December. Source: Journal of Business
- The developers of the new Thomas George luxury high-rise condominium tower in Coeur d’Alene announced that construction is scheduled for completion this year, with residents moving in by years’ end. The top floors of the 80-unit, 18 story tower have been poured. Source: Journal of Business
Openings
- Houston Hot Chicken (Post Falls)
- HeatPraxia (Coeur d’Alene)
- Lakeside CrossFit (Coeur d’Alene)
- Marketplace@Miles (Hayden)
- Grocery Outlet (Post Falls)
- Ponderosa Building Supply (Hauser)
- The Hound House (Hayden)
- Milk and Honey (Coeur d’Alene)
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
- In February 2025 there were 1,403 unique online job postings in the southeastern Idaho labor market area, which increased 6% from the prior month at 1,320 and 5% over the year at 1,331. The median job posting duration was 23 days, 11 days less than January 2025 and three days less than February 2024.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Feb-25 | Postings, Feb-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers, laborers, crop, nursery and greenhouse | 82 | 3 |
| Registered nurses | 56 | 56 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 51 | 44 |
| Retail salespersons | 41 | 63 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 31 | 15 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 26 | 27 |
| Maintenance, repair workers and general | 21 | 24 |
| General and operations managers | 19 | 14 |
| Fast food and counter workers | 19 | 9 |
| Laborers, freight, stock, material movers and hand | 18 | 26 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- The top occupational families by unique online job postings in southeastern Idaho for February were health care, management and sales. Among specific occupations were retail salespersons (41), registered nurses (56) and general managers (19). For the top position there are farmworkers, registered nurses and truck drivers.
| Top industries by job unique postings in southeastern Idaho | Postings, Feb-25 | Postings, Feb-24 |
|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | 116 | 141 |
| Engineering services | 73 | 22 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 69 | 48 |
| Other general government support | 54 | 32 |
| Colleges, universities and professional schools | 45 | 59 |
| Commercial and institutional building construction | 26 | 36 |
| Supermarkets and other grocery retailers (except convenience retailers) | 25 | 14 |
| Frozen fruit, juice and vegetable manufacturing | 22 | 29 |
| Other snack food manufacturing | 21 | 13 |
| Executive offices | 21 | 0 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Health care, social assistance, retail, trade and manufacturing are at the top of broadly defined industries by unique online job postings in February. This includes general medical and surgical hospitals, supermarkets and frozen fruit and vegetable manufacturing. Engineering postings increased substantially year over year as did supermarkets (79%), government support (69%) and snack foods (62%). Frozen fruits and vegetables, commercial construction, colleges and general hospitals all saw a small decrease.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in southeastern Idaho | Median duration, Feb-25 | Unique postings, Feb-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical assistants | 59 | 1 |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | 57 | 11 |
| Acturaries | 54 | 2 |
| Project management specialists | 53 | 17 |
| Surgical technologists | 51 | 4 |
| Community, social service specialists and all other | 51 | 4 |
| Athletic trainers | 51 | 2 |
| Radiation therapists | 51 | 1 |
| Bakers | 47 | 1 |
| Computer network architects | 47 | 5 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
- Based on the hiring challenges by median number of days an occupational job posting is listed, business and production stood out in February, including project management (53 days) and bakers (17 days).
| County housing data, February 2025 | Median listing price | Month over month price change | Median days on the market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock | $391,950 | -0.75% | 75 | 244 |
| Bear Lake | $410,750 | 3.40% | 137 | 41 |
| Bingham | $434,975 | 4.19% | 78 | 107 |
| Caribou | $434,500 | -3.87% | 79 | 22 |
| Franklin | $568,025 | 4.85% | 62 | 41 |
| Oneida | $411,175 | -2.96% | 161 | 20 |
| Power | $380,500 | 0.40% | 112 | 23 |
| Source: Realtor.com Economic Research | ||||
- There was some negative price movement in February in most counties while there was a large increase in Franklin County and a large decrease in Caribou County. The county with the longest median time on the market was Oneida County at 161 days. Power County had the lowest median listing price in the region while Franklin was the hottest with the lowest median of 62 days on the market.
Regional news
Bannock County
- The Portneuf Health Trust recognized the Pocatello Community Recreation Center as its organization of the year. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Jersey Mike’s in Pocatello donated 15% of their sales Feb. 28 to United Way of Southeastern Idaho. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Bannock Development Corporation announced the Convention, Recreation, Entertainment, Sports and Travel Pocatello Project. The project is intended to build a stadium between the Pocatello Regional Airport and Interstate 86. Source: KPVI News
- Champ’s Heart in Idaho Falls was presented with a $15,000 grant from The Bannock Civitan. Champ’s Heart organizes horse encounters for special needs children. Source: KPVI News
- Delta Airlines will be cancelling one of its two nonstop flights out of Pocatello Regional Airport due to low passenger numbers. Delta had been subsidized by the city of Pocatello for $500,000 to keep the flight. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The Pocatello Barricade, a bar and arcade, expanded its services to include mixed drinks under the new ownership. Jackie and Justin Reader now hold a liquor license—whereas previously, they had only been able to serve beer and wine. Source: Idaho State Journal
- Better Health and Healing, a clinic in Pocatello, held a ribbon cutting. The clinic focuses on encouraging better nutrition and lifestyle while also offering pelvic rehab and physical therapy. Source: KPVI News
- The Museum of Clean in Pocatello opened a new activity center to teach children about STEM and veterinary science. Source: KIFI News
- School District 25 of Pocatello and Chubbuck announced its plan to begin rebuilding Highland High School in two phases. Phase one focuses on the gym, kitchen, cafeteria and new classrooms. Phase two will focus on restoring the performing arts center and the courtyard. Phases are slated to complete in January and July of 2027. Source: Idaho State Journal
- The theater company, Westside Players, is issuing a campaign to raise $30,000 for a new stage and heating units. Source: East Idaho News
- Iron Dynasty Gym opened in Chubbuck. Source: KPVI News
Bear Lake County
- The Bear Lake Arts Council held a fundraiser for the Bear Lake Senior Center in Montpelier. The Arts Council held a singing and dancing act. The council also sold gifts and baked goods—raising $5,000. Source: The News-Examiner
Bingham County
- A new country store, The Merc, opened in Shelley aiming to provide fresh produce, snacks, art and seeds in a similar vein to the former King’s variety store that closed years ago. Source: East Idaho News
- Tokyo Japanese Restaurant opened in Blackfoot. Source: Facebook, East Idaho News
Caribou County
- Rise and Shine Daycare in Soda Springs is permanently closing its doors after four years due to drying up government grants and unpaid bills from parents. Source: News Examiner
- A new shade cover is being installed at the Soda Springs City Park thanks to donations from a variety of organizations including the Idaho Realtors Association, Guardian Realty, Caribou Ford, Liberty Jeep, Chadwick Foundation, Caribou County and the Lions Club. The shade cover, installed by Blaze Signs, cost $45,000 and makes the playground serviceable by keeping the temperature down on the play equipment. Source: Idaho State Journal
Franklin County
- The City of Preston has received a $50,000 Gem grant to fund the Downtown Revitalization Project, which will be constructed by Jones & Demille Engineering. Source: The Preston Citizen
Oneida County
- The Malad Stake Family Search Center received a new book scanner to assist in its archiving efforts. It is currently digitizing all of the Malad High School yearbooks. Source: The Idaho Enterprise
- Brolum’s purchased Thomas Market in Malad. Source: The Idaho Enterprise
Power County
- The College of Southern Idaho’s Head Start program in American Falls will be receiving a new building in May. The program is a federally funded program to provide preschool to low-income families. Source: Idaho State Journal
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.
Regional labor market information
- There were an estimated 3,014 unique job postings in the eastern Idaho labor market for February 2025, according to The Conference Board: Help Wanted Online. (This is regional online job postings data and not necessarily job openings data.) The 3,014 postings are a 4% increase from 2,880 the prior month and a 9% increase from 2,614 year-over-year. Registered nurses remained in the top spot of unique job postings in the region for February. New to the top occupations by quantity of job postings this month were merchandise displayers and civil engineers. Employer hiring demand based on quantity of job postings increased 191% for truck driving, 150% for customer service, 136% for nursing, 108% for sales, 104% for retail supervision, 95% for farm work and 58% for freight and material mover occupations since last month.
| Top 10 occupations by unique job postings in eastern Idaho, February 2025 | Postings |
|---|---|
| Registered nurses | 132 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 99 |
| Crop, nursery, greenhouse farmworkers and laborers | 86 |
| Retail salespersons | 77 |
| Customer service representatives | 65 |
| Physical therapists | 61 |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | 51 |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | 38 |
| Hand laborers, freight, stock and material movers | 38 |
| Civil engineers | 37 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | |
- There was no change to the top five regional industries by quantity of job postings since last month. Hiring demand by total unique job postings more than doubled over the month in the top industry categories.
| Top industries by job unique postings in eastern Idaho, February 2025 | Postings |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 364 |
| Health care and social assistance | 357 |
| Finance and insurance | 294 |
| Retail trade | 284 |
| Administrative, support, waste management and remediation services | 221 |
| Manufacturing | 204 |
| Educational services | 163 |
| Wholesale trade | 157 |
| Construction | 135 |
| Public administration | 84 |
| Accommodation and food services | 60 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 49 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast | |
- February hardest-to-fill occupations in eastern Idaho, by highest median job posting duration and multiple unique job postings, included heavy truck drivers, civil engineers and construction laborers. Hardest-to-fill job posting challenges in February by occupational family were engineering and health care practitioners. All occupations except construction laborers and management analysts were new to this month’s hardest-to-fill jobs list.
| Top 10 hardest-to-fill occupations in eastern Idaho, February 2025 | Days to fill | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear engineers | 46 | 22 |
| Fishing and hunting workers | 34 | 26 |
| Civil engineers | 33 | 37 |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers | 33 | 19 |
| Automative service technicians and mechanics | 33 | 17 |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | 32 | 100 |
| Construction laborers | 32 | 33 |
| Coaches and scouts | 32 | 24 |
| Nursing assistants | 31 | 26 |
| Management analysts | 30 | 18 |
| Source: Conference Board data via Lightcast |
Regional news
- The College of Eastern Idaho’s new program for law enforcement — Peace Officer Standards and Training — has received official approval from the state. The program will launch two academies, detention and patrol, starting April 28. Source: The Post Register
- An Education Superhighway event will be held June 4 – 6. This event will help students and job seekers learn about career pathways in the region and how to access training. Partners include the following:
- Idaho State University – Idaho Falls campus industry programs
- Teton Toyota – automotive industry.
- College of Eastern Idaho – medical, skilled trade and law enforcement industries.
Source: Idaho Department of Labor
- The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho in Idaho Falls is partnering with the J.R. Simplot Company to fund facility expansion. It will include a new state-of-the-art education center, additional gallery space and a riverfront gathering area. Source: KIFI
- According to Natural Resources Conservation Services mountain data from SNOTEL, the six runoff basins that comprise eastern Idaho have an average year-to-date snow water equivalent of nearly 100% of median and average year-to-date precipitation of 91% of median. The seasonal outlook forecasts drought conditions to persist in the Salmon River basin over the next three months. Upper Snake basin reservoir system storage is 77% of capacity and 111% of normal as of March 1. The forecast calls for 103% of normal runoff April to July at Upper Snake basin. The Big Lost and Little Lost river basins show slight potential for a shortage of irrigation water. Source: Natural Resources Conservation Services
Bonneville County
- Tropical Smoothie Café opened a second location, this time in Idaho Falls. Source: East Idaho News
- Peak Linen, a health care, manufacturing, food service linen cleaner and servicer, opened in Idaho Falls. Source: Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce
- Park & A Italia restaurant opened in Idaho Falls. Source: Idaho Falls Magazine
- Team Lionheart MMA, a mixed martial arts gym, opened in Idaho Falls. Source: East Idaho News
- A self-service auto salvage yard, Big D Pick & Pull, opened in Idaho Falls. Source: East Idaho News
- Young Mazda opened a new auto dealership in Idaho Falls. Source: KIFI
- Café Zupas restaurant is opening in Ammon. Source: East Idaho News
- CMIT Solutions, a customized information technology (IT) support firm, opened a location in Idaho Falls. Source: Idaho Falls Magazine
- Grand Peaks Medical opened in Idaho Falls, their third clinic location. Source: KIFI
- Teton Music retail store in Ammon is permanently closing. Source: East Idaho News
- The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce announced ribbon cutting and/or groundbreaking ceremonies at Peak Linen and Westmark Credit Union Member Solutions Center. These establishments either opened their doors within the past six months, moved to a new location due to expansion, or have remodeled or expanded their current location. Source: Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce
- A new mosque in Ammon is near completion for the Islamic community in Idaho Falls. Source: East Idaho News
Custer County
- The city of Stanley is hiring a firm to help plan and build a low-income workforce housing development on four acres, that the city owns. The project is being funded with $4 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development community project program. Source: The Challis Messenger
Fremont County
- Teton Regional Land Trust completed the purchase of a 320-acre conservation easement in Island Park on the Tom’s Creek property within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The land is prime grizzly bear habitat, open grazed land, upland forest and wetland vegetation along springs and creeks. Sources of funding are grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Cross Charitable Foundation, Vital Ground Foundation and private donations. Source: Rexburg Standard Journal
Jefferson County
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was allocated $271,500 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for new equipment and vehicles. Source: The Jefferson Star
Lemhi County
- An Australian company, Jervois Mining that operates the Idaho Cobalt Operations project, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is slated to reach a funding and recapitalization agreement with Millstreet Capital Management by April. The changes reportedly won’t disrupt commercial operations or business. Cobalt mined at Jervois is priced at an all-time low. Source: The Challis Messenger
Madison County
- Uptown Plaza Event Center opened in Rexburg. Source: Rexburg Standard Journal
- South Fork Flooring opened in Rexburg. Source: Rexburg Standard Journal
- BYU-Idaho parent university, BYU-Provo, is rolling out a new medical school in two to three years. The School of Medicine Advisory Council consists of 15 working groups and 140 advisers. A working partnership has already been established with Intermountain Health. Source: The Deseret News
- The city of Rexburg has signed a contract with an architect to build a new police station. Source: KIFI
- The Local Highway Technical Assistance Council awarded the city of Rexburg two federal grants to cover the cost to upgrade one street and to improve the city’s traffic signals. Source: Rexburg Standard Journal
- The Rexburg Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cutting ceremonies at Tommy’s Carwash, Cornerstone Caregiving, Masala Indian Cuisine and Uptown Plaza Event Center. Source: Rexburg Chamber of Commerce
Teton County
- Lula Wine Bar opened in Driggs. Source: The Jackson Hole News and Guide
Eastern Idaho commercial real estate statistics – 2024 and 2025
- There have been two large move-outs in Idaho Falls — First American Docutech and Wells Fargo — leaving 46,000 total square feet of industrial and office space vacant in 2024. However, total office real estate transactions in the first half of 2024 increased 49% over the year. Multitenant vacancy has increased over a percentage point the past 12 months to 8%. In the first half of 2024, industrial transactions doubled over the year.
- Industrial construction delivered 239,000 square feet of space halfway through 2024. Vacancy increased by almost two percentage points — to 8.5% — and retail transactions decreased 18% during the same time period. Overall, asking lease rates have increased 10% compared to last year. Commercial land transactions increased rapidly to 23% and commercial building permits increased 9% over the year, including Idahoan Foods building a large new plant in Idaho Falls. Retail remained the top sector for commercial leases, followed by office and industrial. Source: TOK Commercial Real Estate
Eastern Idaho residential real estate statistics – February 2024 and 2025
- Bonneville, Madison, Jefferson and Clark counties are the fastest selling housing markets in the region, showing an average of 48 days listed, which is a relatively long time to sit on the market. Idaho has dropped to 28th nationally for fastest selling housing markets, based on homes selling in 30 days or less. Regional pending home sales saw little change with a 2% decrease over the year.
- Nationally, pending home sales have dropped to the lowest in 25 years, owing to high interest rates and the opportunity cost being too great for homeowners to move. It would otherwise be a homebuyers’ market with the market softening, if not for continued high costs of borrowing and the increased price of homes themselves. The eastern Idaho supply of homes for sale has nearly doubled since February 2023, including an overabundance of new construction, yet regional home prices have still increased by 7% over the year. In 2024, total single-family building permits in the region doubled since 2023 with over 500 permits issued so far in 2025. There are 1,200 units currently planned or under construction. Source: TOK Commercial Real Estate, Realtor.com, View Homes
| Median price sold | Feb-25 | Feb-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | $427,200 | $435,000 | -1.8% |
| Butte | $232,000 | $239,725 | -3.2% |
| Clark | $242,450 | $240,000 | 1.0% |
| Custer | $592,500 | $532,500 | 11.3% |
| Fremont | $774,450 | $738,750 | 4.8% |
| Jefferson | $499,000 | $508,825 | -1.9% |
| Lemhi | $500,000 | $638,500 | -21.7% |
| Madison | $426,700 | $375,000 | 13.8% |
| Teton | $1,150,000 | $858,000 | 34.0% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | |||
| Active listings (inventory) | Feb-25 | Feb-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | 340 | 54 | 529.6% |
| Butte | 8 | 12 | -33.3% |
| Clark | 3 | 1 | 200.0% |
| Custer | 23 | 27 | -14.8% |
| Fremont | 69 | 67 | 3.0% |
| Jefferson | 87 | 60 | 45.0% |
| Lemhi | 46 | 30 | 53.3% |
| Madison | 80 | 67 | 19.4% |
| Teton | 94 | 72 | 30.6% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | #Colspan# | #Colspan# | #Colspan# |
| Median days on market | Feb-25 | Feb-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | 64 | 54 | 18.5% |
| Butte | 161 | 124 | 29.8% |
| Clark | 22 | 184 | -88.0% |
| Custer | 151 | 120 | 25.8% |
| Fremont | 136 | 122 | 11.5% |
| Jefferson | 42 | 57 | -26.3% |
| Lemhi | 136 | 132 | 3.0% |
| Madison | 64 | 83 | -22.9% |
| Teton | 119 | 149 | -20.1% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | #Colspan# | #Colspan# | #Colspan# |
| Total homes pending sale | Feb-25 | Feb-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville | 159 | 164 | -3.0% |
| Butte | 4 | 4 | 0.0% |
| Clark | 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Custer | 11 | 3 | 266.7% |
| Fremont | 17 | 13 | 30.8% |
| Jefferson | 35 | 34 | 2.9% |
| Lemhi | 6 | 5 | 20.0% |
| Madison | 25 | 22 | 13.6% |
| Teton | 57 | 77 | -26.0% |
| Source: RDC Inventory Core Metrics | |||
This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY25 as part of the Workforce Information grant (40%) and state/nonfederal funds (60%) totaling $885,703.
This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.