Missoula News

From the New West blog: Economy

Western Unemployment Picture

By Jill Kuraitis, 11-10-08

Boise, Idaho

September 2008
Montana, 4.6%
Idaho, 5%
Colorado, 5.2%

October 2008
Idaho, 5.4%
Labor statistics show the eighth consecutive rise in unemployment, with six rural counties at over ten percent each.  Double digits haven’t been seen since 1999. Also significant: every city, labor market area and county in Idaho saw a rise in unemployment in October as compared with October 2007.

“Sometimes rural areas get hit hardest - and that’s certainly true for those six counties that hit double digits last month,” Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger B. Madsen said. “But they aren’t alone this time.”

Layoffs and company closures in high-tech in the southwest, timber in northern Idaho and general construction woes mean more than 40,000 Idahoans are jobless, with nearly half in the Boise-Nampa area.

Montana
The state will release its numbers on November 21.  But state economist Barbara Wagner told New West this morning that Montana is “following the same trend as Idaho,” though she noted that the timber industry is hitting Idaho harder. State Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly called Montana’s September rate “well within normal.”

“Montana’s unemployment rate and economy continue to outperform the national trend,” Kelly said Tuesday. “However, we are not completely immune to the national economic storm surrounding us.”

Growth in Montana’s agriculture and energy sectors have helped the state as layoffs occurred in the timber industry, he said.

Colorado
The state will release its numbers this week, but trends in retail sales – down over $600 million last month – may be one indicator.

Colorado’s unemployment rate was down two-tenths of a percentage point in September, but Donald J. Mares, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, said “Although welcome, the drop in the unemployment rate is likely to be a temporary respite.  A slowing national economy combined with decelerating job gains locally are expected to maintain continued pressures on unemployment into next year.”

Last September the Colorado unemployment rate stood at 4.0 percent.

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