Idaho job situation best in 4 years

Idaho’s jobless rate hit its lowest point in nearly four years in December as the economy made room for more jobs.

The rate fell two-tenths of a percentage point from November to 6.6 percent. Idaho created 300 new jobs and made room for 1,500 workers who were previously jobless.

Boise’s job rates was 5.8 percent, down from 7.6 percent a year ago.

In Meridian, the rate was 5.1 percent, down form 7 percent.

Nampa reported a jobless rate of 7.4 percent down from 10.4 percent and Caldwell’s December rate was 7.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent.

Idaho’s workforce expanded for the first time since May. Idaho’s jobless rate had shrunk over the summer and fall, due to 7,000 people leaving the labor force, not because of more jobs. In December, the number of people working or looking for jobs was 774,800, up 200 from November.

Despite the good news, Idaho has regained only 18 percent of the 50,000 jobs lost during the recession on an average annual basis. Idaho Department of Labor officials expect it will take until 2015 to recover all the lost jobs.

Idaho’s average unemployment was 7.4 percent in 2012, according to preliminary figures. That is the lowest rate since 2008 and 1.3 percentage points below 2011.