North central Idaho jobless rate dips

Unemployment eased a little in north central Idaho in October, falling 0.3 percent to 8.4 percent compared with September.

Every county but the smallest one in the region showed improvement in what will likely be a temporary reduction in the jobless rate, according to figures released Friday by the Idaho Department of Labor.

The figures come from a survey taken in the second week of the month, before Clearwater Paper announced a deal for Idaho Forest Group to purchase its Lewiston lumber mill.

That deal is anticipated to close Tuesday, resulting in a net reduction of about 125 jobs. Idaho Forest Group is temporarily shutting down the operation and reopening in mid-December with a crew of about 120, about half what it was under Clearwater Paper.

Manufacturing, health care, retail and transportation were among the categories strong in October, according to a news release from Kathryn Tacke, an economist at the Idaho Department of Labor in Lewiston. "A good harvest allowed farmers to increase their spending, helping rural communities gain some retail and service jobs."

The addition of workers at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Lewiston and Pullman is spilling over into other sectors as the new hires boost consumer spending on the Palouse, Tacke wrote. "The upcoming opening of the (SEL) plant in Lewiston will help offset some of the job losses from the lumber mill."

The Pullman-based maker of high-tech equipment for power distribution and transmission is about to open its first plant in Lewiston that will have a crew of about 100 within a year. It's also finishing its 11th building in Pullman, where it has just more than 1,800 employees.

Those projects are helping stabilize the economy in Nez Perce and Latah counties.

The unemployment rate in Nez Perce County fell from 7.1 percent in September to 7 percent in October. Latah County's rate went from 7.8 percent in September to 7.6 percent in October.

Results from other parts of the region varied.

Clearwater County's unemployment rate was 15.5 percent in October, down 0.7 percent from the previous month, but still the second highest of Idaho's 44 counties. Idaho County was also in the double digits dropping from 12.1 percent in September to 11.3 percent in October. Lewis County had the only increase of the five counties, rising from 6.1 percent in September to 6.3 percent in October.

The unemployment statistics don't reflect everything happening in the job market, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Labor.

One business think tank estimates statewide there are 31/2 job seekers for every posted opening. That figure doesn't include another several thousand people so frustrated they're no longer applying for jobs and 50,000 workers in part-time positions seeking full-time careers.

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Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.