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first time in 32 months 

Job gains across much of the economy eased Idaho unemployment a tenth of a point to 9.4 percent in March, the first decline in the jobless rate in 32 months. New jobs exceeded new job seekers for the first time in three years in another sign that Idaho’s economy may have started to recover.
   ”Six key economic indicators – labor force, new hires, total employment, unemployment, job gains, weekly benefit payouts – are all headed in the right direction,” said Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger B. Madsen. “I’m very encouraged and optimistic.”
   The number of workers without jobs retreated from February’s record 71,600, slipping under 71,000 for the first decline in the number of people unemployed since March 2007. The recession began in December 2007.
   While the labor force grew another 2,200 from February to March, the 10th monthly increase in a row, total employment at 686,700 rose 2,700, the highest one-month jump in the number of people working in six years. The last time more people found work in a single month was February 2004 when 3,000 workers found new jobs during the early days of Idaho’s record-setting economic expansion.
   Idaho’s highest unemployment rate was 9.6 percent from December 1982 through February 1983 during the depths of a double-dip recession.
   The national rate remained unchanged for the third straight month at 9.7 percent.

  Nonfarm jobs increased 4,600 from February to March, only 1,100 short of the pre-recession average job increase between February and March. Major sectors like manufacturing, retail trade, restaurants and professional, business and financial services all posted gains above what was normal the past five years. Construction, which shed 9,200 jobs between August and February, gained 200 jobs in March.
   Even the state’s two largest metropolitan areas – Boise and Coeur d’Alene – posted modest job growth in March, continuing February’s reversal of months of decline. Nearly half the statewide job growth was in metropolitan Boise.
   Private education and health care, two sectors that weathered the recession without job losses, were both flat from February to March.
   Tempering the picture were the 53,000 workers who continued to receive unemployment benefits last week – a total of $14.9 million. About 24,000 of them had already exhausted their regular state benefits of 10 to 26 weeks and are receiving federally-financed extended benefits that can last up to 73 more weeks if they cannot find work.
   Employers have been extremely cautious in the past several months since the state economy seemed to have bottomed out. But in March, they hired over 10,000 new workers, 600 more than they hired in March 2009 and the first time in 47 months that new hires have exceeded the year-earlier number.
   Job prospects have also improved. The Conference Board, a business research group headquartered in New York, found there were seven unemployed Idaho workers for every two job listings in February, down from nearly 10 for every two listings last November.
   Nonfarm jobs in March totaled nearly 596,000. That was 8,400 less than in March 2009, a 1.4 percent difference well below the peak year-over-year job loss of 7.3 percent, or nearly 50,000 jobs, last July and August.
   Seventeen of Idaho’s 44 counties posted jobless rates in double digits, down from 18 in February. Clearwater was the highest at 19.3 percent. Owyhee was the lowest at 4.9 percent. Both the Boise and Coeur d’Alene metro areas remained in double digits, each at 10 percent.
   Only three other counties – Butte, Madison and Oneida – had rates below 6 percent.

Idaho County Free Press

Population growth for the past decade remains near stagnant to slightly down for Idaho County, based on preliminary figures released from the 2010 Census.
For 2009, Idaho County reported a total 15,461 population, which is down by 50 from 2000, according to U.S. Census statistics provided through the Idaho Department of Labor. For the decades prior, the growth rate was 1.2 percent between 1990 and 2000 when the county population total went from 13,783 to 15,511.
City population numbers for last year were not yet available, however, in comparing net growth from 2000 to 2008 only two municipalities show increases during this period. Cottonwood went from 944 in 2000 to 1,041 in 2008, and Riggins jumped by eight to 418 during the same period. Otherwise, population totals dropped: Grangeville had 3,110 people in 2008 (-118 decrease), and Kooskia had 655 (-20). Decreasing both by one were Stites, 225, and White Bird, 105. Ferdinand reported 145 in population in 2008, same as in 2000, which in the interim fluctuated between 141 to 147.
As far as demographics, Idaho County is getting older.
Available statistics up to 2008 show the median age within the county at 45.9, up from 42.3 in 2000. During this time, the population of those 45 to 64 years old increased 11 percent to 4,869, those age 65 and older went up by 422 to a total 3,066, and those 85 and older totaled 418, up 34 percent.
During that same 2000 to 2008 period, three age groups saw decreases varying between 2.3 to 25 percent: younger than 5 totaled 800 (down 19), ages 5 to 13 dropped 488 for a total 1,469, and the 14 to 17 group reduced by 277 for a total 820.
While populations of those 18 to 24 increased 40 percent, age groups of both 15 to 44 and 25 to 44 both saw decreases of 7.2 and 15.5 percent, respectively.
Overall, for 2008, Idaho County’s percentage of population by age shows the bulk lie within the 25 to 44 (19.8 percent) and 45 to 64 (31.5 percent) categories, and those 65 and older make up 19.8 percent.
Due to its relatively old populations and relatively small number of young adults, Idaho County experienced a net natural decrease — deaths exceeded births — between 2000 and 2009.
During this period the county saw a population drop of 50, of which 15 was the natural decrease between 1,455 births and 1,470 deaths.
For population density, based on a total 8,485 square miles within Idaho County, the persons per square mile in 2009 was 1.8, the same as in 2000, but up from 1.6 in 1990.

Photo Courtesy Idaho County Free Press

Snowhaven-Grangeville Idaho

Cottonwood Butte-Cottonwood Idaho

 Thank you for visiting my BLOG.  I’ve started choosing photos of Central Idaho (map)  that I would like to share with you.  Feel free to copy and past to your computer for your personal use.  If you want them for your desktop or screen saver just let me know and I’ll e-mail them to you in a higher resolution. These are not professional, just my quick shots that actually turned out (always a surprise!).  If you have some you would like to share please let me know, I would love to see them and post them, with your permission of course. 

 RaWanda

rawanda@mycentralidaho.com

The next three photos were taken on my trip from Grangeville Idaho to Elk City Idaho to list some property.  This is a beautiful drive along the South Fork of the Clearwater river!!!  These photos were taken in October so the Fall colors were everywhere.  Idaho has beautiful seasons, each one special and spectacular…at least to me….ENJOY!

McAllister Picnic Ground on the South Fork of the Clearwater river

Creek Running into the South Fork of the Clearwater River

South Fork of the Clearwater River

View of the Seven Devils Mountains

Nut Basin gravel pile

Doumecq 2008

See the deer? Near Red Bluff Campground

If you would like to live in this beautiful area, let me know, I would be happy to send you information on homes or vacant land in Idaho or Lewis county.  If not just enjoy the pictures and other information.  If you would like to know a little more about the Central Idaho area visit my web site, it has several links… 

Sincerely,

RaWanda Goehring

www.centralidahoproperties.com

rawanda@mycentralidaho.com

208-983-3517

Idaho County Properties