Kootenai Jobless rate raises

COEUR d'ALENE - The statistics say unemployment for the state's second-largest metropolitan area, Coeur d'Alene, increased slightly to 10.3 percent in August, from 10.1 in July.

Steve Griffitts, president of Jobs Plus in the Lake City, says wait just a minute.

"The job market is better than what these numbers indicate," he said Friday.

He pointed out that the number of employed in Kootenai County rose to 65,930 in August, up from 63,723 in July.

"That's 2,207 jobs just in one month," he said.

The Idaho Department of Labor reported Friday that Idaho's statewide unemployment rate remains unchanged for August at 8.9 percent, up one-tenth of a percent from July and almost a half a percent higher than the August 2009 rate of 8.5 percent.

Eleven Idaho counties posted double-digit unemployment rates for August, with four recording 14 percent or higher. Boundary had the highest at 14.6 percent.

August unemployment rates declined in four metro areas - Boise, Lewiston, Idaho Falls and Owhyee County.

Alivia Body, Department of Labor regional labor economist, said the number of posted job openings at the Coeur d'Alene office doubled from 250 in July to more than 500 in August.

Many of the new jobs are in manufacturing and office work that pay in the range of $8 to $13 an hour.

Construction and hospitality are also adding jobs and showing signs of strength.

She said with more openings, she is seeing "all those discouraged workers are becoming more encouraged and seeing more activity."

"A lot of the manufacturers are seeing more of a backlog," Body said.

Seasonal jobs will be an issue, she added.

Rain could slow logging in North Idaho, "not to mention the price of lumber that's put a strain on the demand for logging."

Ski resorts will soon start gearing up for winter, and she added that Silverwood Theme Park will be hiring for its October Scarywood.

"You have all those little different seasonal factors," she said.

Griffitts also said he's seen job gains in the areas of manufacturing, medical, retail and leisure.

"Multipliers associated with that job growth are significant," he said.

"It didn't come from government growth," Griffitts added.

He said the fact that the county added more than 2,000 jobs in a one month is a positive sign that shouldn't be overlooked.

"That's an unbelievable thing in this economy," he said.