Unemployment rate in Idaho rising
- posted: 18 Mar. 2008
- scrollnews@byui.edu
The unemployment rate in Idaho rose by one-tenth of a point in January, bringing it up to 2.8 percent. This percentage is still significantly lower than the national average unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Idaho Department of Labor issued a press release indicating the rise in unemployment across the state. The leading cause of the higher unemployment rate is due to the construction industry, which accounted for 30 percent of January’s unemployment benefit claims, according to the press release.
Nationwide, the construction unemployment rate is 11.4 percent, which has had its effect on Idaho unemployment. It is the industry with the largest unemployment rate, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
January marks the 76th consecutive month that the national unemployment rate has been greater than Idaho’s, according to the press release. This is good news for those students about to graduate who intend to stay in Idaho afterwards.
“[Idaho has] been able to maintain a low unemployment rate for so long, as compared to the national rate, because we are continually creating more jobs than the amount of people moving in,” said Ron Nate, a professor in the Economics Department.
Low unemployment rates do not necessarily attract those soon to graduate. Seth Wagner, a senior studying economics, is interviewing for a job in Ohio.
“I didn’t look at the unemployment rate when I was looking for jobs,” Wagner said. “I just went where they were offering jobs.”
The increase of the unemployment rate in January was not unusual, according to the press release.
\Over the last 30 years, the unemployment rate has increased seven times, decreased nine and remained unchanged 14 times, according to the press release.
In January, Michigan had the highest unemployment rate, in the nation at 7 percent. Other areas with high unemployment rates include Alaska, Mississippi, South Carolina and Washington, D.C.; all have unemployment rates above 6 percent, according to the BLS. 
