Unemployment sees slight drop

SANDPOINT — After four consecutive months of improving unemployment figures, Bonner County’s economy could be edging toward recovery, according to an area economist.

Bonner County’s May jobless rate came in at 8.6 percent, down from April’s 8.9 percent, according to new Idaho Department of Labor figures. After topping out at 9.1 percent in January, the county’s regionally adjusted unemployment rate has improved — ever so slightly — each month.

Regional economist Kathryn Tacke credits the county’s diverse economy for helping to blunt the impact of the recession and keep unemployment from skyrocketing.

“It’s still difficult for job seekers, but, given what’s happening in the rest of the United States, I would say that Sandpoint stands out as a model for economic success, because it has really diversified its economy over time,” she said.

It’s too early to know if unemployment will continue to decrease, but Tacke said she is heartened to see continued growth in a number of local industries.

“The rest of the nation has lost 3.4 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, and your area has added about 500 manufacturing jobs in that same time,” she said. “It’s just amazing to see the gains you’ve had over time with Litehouse and Thorne and Quest and Unicep and Cygnus — I could go on and on.”

The tempered optimism about Bonner County’s economy does not carry over to the state as a whole. Idaho’s jobless rate jumped nearly a point last month, from 7 percent in April to 7.8 percent in May, which is its highest rate in 22 years.