April showers county with slightly higher unemployment

SANDPOINT — Idaho’s jobless rate held steady in April, but Bonner County saw a slight increase in its number of unemployed, according to new figures released by the Idaho Department of Labor.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was forecast at 7 percent in Idaho for April, unchanged from revised March figures and 2.7 percentage points higher than in April 2008.

Bonner County’s April unemployment was forecast at 8.9 percent, an increase of only .1 percent from March’s 8.8 percent.

The forecasted rate is subject to adjustment later this month, but Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger B. Madsen saw positive signs in the April report.

“We’re surprised but definitely pleased that the unemployment rate for the first time in 20 months has not increased,” Madsen said of the statewide figures. “The Idaho economy is by no means out of the woods, but we are doing substantially better than many other states.”

Nationally, April’s unemployment rate jumped another four-tenths of a point to 8.9 percent — the highest level since 1983 — as the economy shed another 539,000 jobs. Since the recession began in December 2007, the national economy has lost 5.7 million jobs.

The gap between the state and national unemployment rates continued to widen in April, reinforcing the prospect that Idaho’s rate will remain below the nation’s rate throughout the duration of the recession, as it has for the past 7 years.

There was little movement in employment activity across the state between March and April, but what did occur was generally positive, according to Bob Fick of IDL. The labor force, which typically begins expanding between March and April by 1,000 or more, rose by 500 — but so did total employment, essentially offsetting the fractional increase in the labor force. That held the jobless rate steady.

In fact, April marked the first month-to-month employment increase Idaho has seen since last July.

Nearly 1,800 more construction jobs were added, close to what typically occurs between March and April. But 300 more manufacturing jobs were lost from March, primarily in the high-technology sector.

Every county saw the number of people without jobs rise from April 2008, but over half also saw total employment increase during the month. Six counties posted double-digit percentage rates, matching the March number. Benewah was the highest at 15.4 percent, unchanged from March. Clearwater County posted the highest March rate at 16 percent.