Counties with the highest unemployment in Idaho
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Idaho using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in March 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts have mixed views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—up slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Idaho.
#44. Teton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 7,548 people (211 unemployed)
#43. Madison County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,712 people (683 unemployed)
#42. Oneida County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,338 people (68 unemployed)
#41. Minidoka County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,819 people (369 unemployed)
#40. Cassia County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,140 people (373 unemployed)
#39. Latah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 21,708 people (705 unemployed)
#38. Ada County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 293,673 people (9,350 unemployed)
#37. Fremont County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,024 people (268 unemployed)
#36. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 15,692 people (510 unemployed)
#35. Nez Perce County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,236 people (737 unemployed)
#34. Bonneville County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 66,611 people (2,197 unemployed)
#33. Caribou County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,656 people (124 unemployed)
#32. Bingham County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 24,044 people (825 unemployed)
#31. Franklin County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,187 people (251 unemployed)
#30. Blaine County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,003 people (499 unemployed)
#29. Bannock County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 45,530 people (1,688 unemployed)
#28. Bear Lake County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,849 people (107 unemployed)
#27. Twin Falls County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 44,113 people (1,659 unemployed)
#26. Butte County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,191 people (46 unemployed)
#25. Power County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,945 people (152 unemployed)
#24. Jerome County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,608 people (459 unemployed)
#23. Gooding County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,912 people (323 unemployed)
#22. Canyon County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 119,352 people (4,882 unemployed)
#21. Clark County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 440 people (19 unemployed)
#20. Elmore County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 12,564 people (543 unemployed)
#19. Gem County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,927 people (393 unemployed)
#18. Payette County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,827 people (529 unemployed)
#17. Lewis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,593 people (74 unemployed)
#16. Washington County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,627 people (211 unemployed)
#15. Kootenai County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 89,497 people (4,096 unemployed)
#14. Lemhi County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,956 people (191 unemployed)
#13. Owyhee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,528 people (268 unemployed)
#12. Camas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 567 people (28 unemployed)
#11. Valley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,411 people (316 unemployed)
#10. Boise County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,143 people (209 unemployed)
#9. Custer County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,948 people (104 unemployed)
#8. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,533 people (140 unemployed)
#7. Idaho County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,141 people (410 unemployed)
#6. Shoshone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,935 people (358 unemployed)
#5. Bonner County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 22,731 people (1,389 unemployed)
#4. Boundary County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,649 people (363 unemployed)
#3. Benewah County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 7.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,334 people (318 unemployed)
#2. Clearwater County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,440 people (276 unemployed)
#1. Adams County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 1,831 people (154 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
