NorthwestMarch 24, 2012

Department of Labor official sees cause for hope

North central Idaho residents suffered through some of the worst that the bad economy dished out in 2011, but should see improvement in coming months.

That was the conclusion of Kathryn Tacke, an economist with the Idaho Department of Labor, after examining unemployment statistics for 2010 and 2011.

Unemployment hit 8.2 percent in the region in 2011 and was one-tenth of a percentage point higher than 2010, according to figures released Friday.

The number of people without jobs in north central Idaho peaked between about October 2010 and March 2011, Tacke said. Manufacturing in Nez Perce County in the last year experienced large increases and losses, according to a statement Tacke issued Friday.

The job gains that came with the opening of Lewiston's Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories plant and an expansion at Howell Machine, were erased by the 130 positions that disappeared when Idaho Forest Group acquired Clearwater Paper's Lewiston sawmill, Tacke wrote.

Howell Machine makes machines for manufacturing ammunition and components of ammunition.

The downward trends, however, have started to ease and the economy should rebound this year, if rising oil prices, or potential problems in Europe and China don't hamper the momentum, Tacke said.

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She expects a surge in manufacturing orders, improvements in commercial and industrial construction, stabilization of government employment, high farm incomes and more tourism this year. "Continued expansion at Schweitzer and (Howell) in March and April will help manufacturing to pull ahead of its levels from a year ago."

That would build on 200 new jobs added in the last year in north central Idaho divided equally between health care and the hospitality sector, which includes restaurants and lodging.

The reopening of Walmart in January with more than 200 jobs in Moscow helped Latah County, according to Tacke. "Lower employment at the University of Idaho and Washington State University offset job gains at manufacturers, retailers and health care providers."

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Williams may be contacted at

ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.

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