Madison County Quick Stats
| Month | Civilian Labor Force | Unemployed | Unemployed % | Total Unemployed |
| April | 23,655 | 483 | 2.0% | 23,172 |
| May (prelim.) | 24,011 | 500 | 2.1% | 23,511 |
Idaho Summary
The Idaho Department of Labor released a report stating that Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.6% in May, marking the fourth consecutive month with no change. The labor force increased by 1,719 individuals, reaching a total of 962,466 people. The labor force participation rate remained steady at 62.5%. Total employment rose by 1,215 individuals to 937,462, while the number of unemployed individuals increased by 504 to 25,004.
In terms of nonfarm jobs, Idaho saw an increase of 1,000 jobs (0.1%) in May, bringing the total to 847,200. Industries that experienced the most significant job gains were arts, entertainment, and recreation (4.4%); health care and social services (1.5%); wholesale trade (1.4%); other services (0.7%); and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (0.6%). Conversely, job declines were observed in natural resources (-4.4%), financial activities (-1.2%), information (-1.0%), private educational services (-0.6%), and durable goods manufacturing (-0.5%).
Among Idaho’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), four out of six saw nonfarm job increases in May. Twin Falls had the largest increase at 0.6%, followed by Coeur d’Alene (0.3%), Idaho Falls (0.2%), and Boise (0.1%). However, Lewiston and Pocatello experienced decreases of 0.7% and 0.2% respectively.
Comparing May 2023 with the previous year, Idaho’s unemployment rate of 2.6% was slightly higher than the 2.5% reported in May 2022. The labor force increased by 1.2%, equivalent to 11,844 people. The number of unemployed individuals rose by 3.7% (889), while the number of employed individuals increased by 1.2% (10,955).
In terms of nonfarm jobs on a year-over-year basis, Idaho saw an overall increase of 3.1% (25,400). However, certain sectors experienced job declines, including transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-1.8%); manufacturing (-1.2%); retail trade (-1.2%); and financial activities (-1.0%). All of Idaho’s MSAs, except for Lewiston, saw year-over-year nonfarm job gains. Coeur d’Alene had the largest increase at 3.9%, followed by Pocatello (3.6%), Boise (3.4%), Idaho Falls (2.2%), and Twin Falls (2.0%). Lewiston experienced a decrease of 0.7% compared to May 2022.
On a national level, the unemployment rate increased from 3.4% in April to 3.7% in May, with the number of unemployed individuals rising by 440,000 to 6.1 million. Total nonfarm payroll employment in the United States increased by 339,000 (0.2%) to 156.1 million.
The report concludes by providing upcoming release dates for statewide and substate labor force and nonfarm jobs data in Idaho.
For more detailed information on labor market trends in Idaho, you can visit the Idaho Department of Labor’s website at lmi.idaho.gov.