WASHINGTON: Idaho’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent in April, while Blaine County’s was 2.5 percent. In Blaine County, the unemployment rate has been below 3 percent since November 2016, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. In April, the seasonally adjusted workforce was 11,653 workers, according to the Department of Labor. That included 11,366 workers and 287 unemployed workers. Statewide, 1,500 fewer people were looking for work in April compared to the month prior, while the total number of workers decreased by 950 people. Combined, the labor force decreased by about 2,450, which influenced the decline in the unemployment rate.
Across Idaho, three sectors had big gains in employment in April: manufacturing, which increased employment by 1,200 jobs; hospitality, which increased by 1,400 jobs; and education and health services, which grew by 1,000 new jobs. Those figures are compared to the month prior.
