Workers in demand in Kootenai County

COEUR d'ALENE — The "help wanted" signs fill business windows throughout Kootenai County as the region and the state continue to experience low unemployment numbers.

The county unemployment rate was 4% in January, according to the Idaho Department of Labor, just a hair above the 3.8% national unemployment rate measured by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics in March. Idaho's unemployment rate was 3.3% in February.

Low unemployment means hiring challenges for some industries.

"We're pretty much always looking for our field laborers," All Wall Contracting, Inc. operations assistant Georgia Dettelbach said Wednesday.

Based in Post Falls, All Wall provides services such as metal stud framing, drywall, insulation, roof coatings and more. 

Dettelbach said All Wall fluctuates between just over 100 employees to about 150 employees depending on the time of year, but it is always in search of qualified workers. Wages for those jobs range from $18 per hour with benefits to about $35 with benefits, she said.

All Wall Contracting will be among 80 employers that will participate in the Idaho Department of Labor's hiring event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Real Life Ministries, 1860 N. Cecil Road, Post Falls.

Kootenai County has just over 1,500 job postings at this time, according to the Department of Labor. Hospitals, restaurants, insurance carriers, accommodation and retail are among the industries most in need of employees, according to a Wednesday news release from the Department of Labor.

Positions open for recruitment include cooks, nurses, tellers, machinists, servers, field painters, teachers, drywall finishers, event coordinators and more. According to indeed.com, cooks in Idaho make $14.79 per hour, nurses make $35.07 per hour, teachers make $16.10 per hour, drywall finishers make $24.77 per hour and event coordinators make $19.74, all on average.

Job seekers are encouraged to bring updated resumes to the hiring event. Visit labor.idaho.gov/publications and search under "Job search publications" for job search and interview tips.