Cd'A jobless rate at 5.2 percent

POST FALLS — Coeur d'Alene's newly-released jobless rate of 5.2 percent is the highest among the 11 largest cities in the state. But that's not a negative statistic, an Idaho Department of Labor regional economist says.

"The Federal Reserve estimates that the healthy, 'natural' unemployment rate is right around 5 percent, which puts us perfectly in line," Sam Wolkenhauer said. "If our rate dropped any lower, it would be a sign of a growing shortage of workers."

According to a Labor report released Friday, Boise's rate in September was 2.6 percent, Rexburg's 2.9 percent and Post Falls' 4.7 percent.

"An unemployment rate of 2 to 3 percent is somewhat of an anomaly," Wolkenhauer said. "It's a sign that there’s a labor shortage."

Kootenai County's rate is at 5 percent — a tenth of a percent lower than it was in August.

"This is not what we would call a statistically significant change," Wolkenhauer said. "Total employment changed by less than 50 people, which is well within the bounds of normal fluctuations. I would not say there’s anything structural or significant behind the new numbers."

Looking ahead to the winter months, Wolkenhauer said labor analysts expect a seasonal slowdown in construction and agriculture, but a corresponding increase in retail trade and other services.

"Looking past the regular seasonal trends, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about the local job market," he said. "There are plenty of growing industries and the signs point to our future being a job seeker’s market."

The state's unemployment rate (4.2 percent) and the nation's number (5.1 percent) both remained unchanged from August to September.

Idaho’s labor force reached a historical record high by exceeding 800,000 for the first time ever, the report states.

A monthly increase of 5,000 nonfarm jobs — the result of 9,800 education workers returning to work for the start of a new school year — offset general seasonal declines across Idaho’s economy, including a stronger-than-average seasonal shedding of 1,000 construction jobs as heavy and civil projects were completed.

Year over year, Idaho nonfarm payrolls remained 3 percent ahead of 2014 due to an across-the-board gain of 19,300 jobs, underscoring 12 months of continued

economic growth. Virtually all other Idaho industry sectors enjoyed yearly gains in September, including construction with an increase of 9.1 percent, the largest annual increase for construction since 2006.

September’s addition of 1,400 people into the workforce marked nine straight months of growth, pushing the state’s labor force to a record-high of 800,800 people.

Idaho’s labor market remained tight in September as the number of unemployed workers increased by less than 100 and the number of unemployed individuals available per job listing remaining at 1.2, according to job opening estimates by The Conference Board.

The state’s labor force participation rate — the percentage of people 16 years and older with jobs or looking for work — remained unchanged at 64.1 percent for the fourth consecutive month.

Shoshone County's jobless rate of 7.6 percent is the third-highest in the state behind Adams and Clearwater counties.