Unemployment Dips In Teton Valley

Hiring in Idaho during September fell just short of levels seen during the mid-2000 expansion, but it was enough to drive the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate down two-tenths of a point to 9 percent. It was the first time Idaho’s rate has slipped below the national rate since last November.  In Teton County, Idaho, the unemployment rate fell to 6.1% — down from 8% in August.  In terms of actual jobs,78 fewer people were employed last month than during the previous month, but at the same time there were 188 fewer people in the labor force and 110 fewer people filed for unemployment.  However, state employment officials point out that even though Idaho’s jobless rate has fallen three-quarters of a point over the last 10 months, it has been at or above 9 percent since the beginning of 2010. The rate was 9.5 percent in September 2010. Prior to November 2010, Idaho’s unemployment rate had been below the national rate for more than nine years.  Wyoming’s monthly employment report for September is to be published Tuesday morning.