Lack of Decrease in Unemployment in Idaho a Concern or Worth Celebrating?
Unemployment across the county has seen a major increase over the last few years since the pandemic started. Companies have had to lay off hundreds and sometimes thousands of employees across the country and the state of Idaho, while other places have been forced to close their doors entirely, forcing many former workers to find themselves on the unemployment line. As things have begun to progress and the pandemic seems to get further into the past, the unemployment rate has begun to decrease little by little. Some states have seen it decrease more than others, but in Idaho, it may not be decreasing as much as some would hope. Is the lack of a decrease in the unemployment rate in Idaho a good thing or a bad one?
The States with the Most and Least Decrease in the Unemployment Rate
While the unemployment rates have been high the last couple of years, they are slowly coming down. WalletHub recently released a list of the states seeing the unemployment list drop the most and which states have seen it drop the least, if at all. The list uses two main categories, such as which states have seen unemployment claims drop the most over the last week, and how many are claimed per 100,000 people in the labor force. The state that has seen its unemployment rate drop the most recently is South Dakota, followed by Virginia and Georgia to round out the top three. The state that has seen it drop the least or not at all is Connecticut, with Wisconsin and Ohio rounding out the bottom three as well.
The Lack of Decrease in the Unemployment Rate in Idaho and What it Means
The state of Idaho has not been fortunate enough to see its unemployment rate decrease as much as other states, ranking at 48 out of a possible 51, since Washington DC is included. Idaho has seen its unemployment rate increase lately. In the last week, Idaho has seen its unemployment claims rise by 4.41 percent. Compared to the same week of the year, pre-pandemic, the unemployment rate is up 54.3 percent. Compared to last year at the same time, the unemployment rate is up 17.05 percent. While this may look bad, when you consider that the population of Idaho is less than many other states, the number of actual unemployed people is not comparable. You can view it as people are still struggling, or you can view it as there aren't nearly as many unemployed in Idaho as compared to bigger states like New York, California, or Florida.
While every state would like to see a zero next to the unemployment rate, that will likely never happen. The number may not be decreasing as much as Idahoans would like it to, but there weren't many unemployed to begin with, which is something to be proud of. If you are unemployed or you are struggling to find a job, there are tons of opportunities out there and many places are looking to hire. Keep applying, and eventually, someone will hire you and you can help decrease the unemployment rate in Idaho.