Tuesday, Jul 26 2011 8:37AM
The number of employed Idaho residents reached a 10-month low in June, a new report shows.
According to a report by the Idaho Department of Labor (IDL), the state's unemployment rate remained steady in June while the number of employed workers dipped to its lowest level in nearly a year.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate during the month was 9.4 percent, the report states. Additionally, the total labor force declined for the first time in 10 months, as roughly 1,800 workers stopped looking for jobs or left the state. More than 72,000 workers in the state were jobless in June.
Rural Valley County had the highest unemployment rate in Idaho at 16.9 percent. Only two counties had jobless rates below 6 percent, the report indicates.
The report also shows employment growth remained flat with a rise of 0.6 percent from May, according to the report. This increase is the smallest May-to-June job growth in 30 years.
Alivia Body, regional economist for the IDL, told the Coeur d'Alene Press she expects the state's unemployment rate to remain high in the coming months.