Job Market Update for Boise, Idaho
Hey, everybody; we’re here with another job market update for the Boise area. So I wanted to share some of the jobs here in Boise and the outlook.
Boise Economic Summary
Okay, we’re starting at the Boise City Area Economic Summary. So this has been updated as of January 5th, 2023, and this is some information that you might find helpful if you’re choosing a place to live; you’re not exactly sure where you want to live, you’re not exactly sure where you could make the most money. You’ll make the most money in Ada County because that is where Boise is, the downtown hub, the Metropolitan City. So in Ada County, the average weekly wage for all industries is $1,000 or more. In the surrounding counties, you have $900 to $999, and so forth. Canyon County is $900 to $999.
Where People Are Living When They Work in Boise
You could loop in that $1,000 or more because if you’ve ever driven on the freeway in this area, you’ll see all of the traffic coming from the Nampa and Caldwell area in the morning heading into Boise. And so that is where people are living, so this is pulling where people are working, where those wages are. So remember that your odds of driving into Boise and making more money are higher. Not to say you can’t make a good wage in Canyon County.
Unemployment Rate in Idaho
Unemployment in Idaho was 2.6% in November. 2023 is ahead of us, so the numbers coming up still need to be seen, but the average rate for the United States was 3.4% in 2022. So Idaho is doing pretty well on the unemployment front.
Thousand-Based Statistics for Employment Rates
There are fewer people here, so consider that when you look at those numbers for the Boise City metro area employment, remember, these numbers are in the thousands.
Top Industries by Employment and Hourly Wages
The total non-farm employment is 380,000 — so they have some categories.
The top job, as far as employment goes by the numbers, is trade, transportation, and utilities. That industry grew from November 2021 to November 2022, so there weren’t cuts in that area.
Moving on to hourly wages, the average hourly wage, by the numbers, financial managers are making the most money. And then you move down the list, and cooks and restaurants are at the bottom.
Diversity and Marketing Industries on the Rise, Amazon Layoffs
So you have a supplier diversity program manager. The diversity and inclusion industry has grown a lot since May 2020. The lead content designer industry is growing. So anybody with digital skills or diversity, belonging, and culture skills, those industries are looking up. This is funny because, amid inflation, these are all marketing industry jobs. Usually, marketing is the first thing to go, but tons of companies are investing more in their marketing to combat inflation instead of cutting back on it. So lots of marketing jobs; there’s not a whole lot else.
Amazon and Microsoft Layoffs
With that in mind, there’s been some news recently that Amazon is laying off more than 18,000 people. So on the heels of November, they were discussing releasing 10,000 people from their positions. This included members of hardware and services, human resources, and retail teams. In January, they confirmed these layoffs, but they’re going up to 18,000 instead of just 10,000 overall. This is with the news that Microsoft announced Wednesday that they’d be cutting 10,000 jobs, predicting that the tech industry has two difficult years ahead. It is interesting because all these jobs I looked at deal with the tech industry.
Job Market Developments in the Meridian, Idaho Area
Now, jumping into local jobs here in the valley, I put in Meridian, Idaho, where I live, at $60,000+ is a typical income, and most of the jobs we will look at will be full-time. So, LinkedIn has “Jobs on the Rise”; these industries are growing nationally. You will have more job opportunities on Indeed, as LinkedIn favors digital jobs.
So if there are any recruiters, Northwest Lineman College seeks a corporate recruiter. I have a friend who works at Northwest Lineman College, and he says it is a fabulous place to work. He enjoys working there, it’s just a good environment, and you’re in an industry that is well needed, the lineman. So we need our power from somewhere. Depending on experience, your salary could be $63,000 to $73,000 annually.
OrePack Building Products, they’re looking for an operations manager. They offer many benefits; competitive compensation, medical, dental, vision — up to 70% paid, paid time off, paid holidays, and free gym membership. Wow, that looks like a great job. If you have any operations management experience, you should buzz them and throw in an application.
Using Indeed to Find Jobs in Treasure Valley
Let’s go to Indeed. I put in a salary estimate of $25/hour or more, and nearly 5,000 jobs popped up. Jobs such as:
- Nurse
- Teacher
- Journeyman Plumber
- Pediatric Occupational
- Human Resources Coordinator
- Software
- Workers Claims
So a lot of variety on Indeed; if you’re looking for a job in the Boise area, you should start there. Throw in some applications, and make sure your resume is current.
City and Government job postings with good benefits and opportunities for growth
Another good place to look is in the City sites. So, for example, in the City of Nampa and the City of Meridian, there are many good jobs there as well. You may have some experience doing more landscape stuff; good job opportunities exist. So it’s an excellent place to look. They may pay less, but they have some great benefits. And then jumping over to Government Jobs. This is another superb place to look when you are seeking a position because there are a lot of state and city jobs. The state of Idaho has excellent benefits; PERSI is one, it’s one of the best state retirement funds in the nation. So that’s worth looking at and seeing what benefits are there. Other jobs you may find on a city site are engineering positions, administrative coordinator jobs, and environmental protection; many of these are pathways into the federal government.
Exploring Job Opportunities in Boise: Where to Look and How to Filter
You can also find jobs such as laboratory or public information officer positions on governmentjobs.com. You can check out the categories you want to look at and see if you have any interest or a background in a specific career path and how much your income would be.
Living in Boise, Idaho
We’re hiring a lot in the Boise area. So if you’re out in California and maybe thinking, “Oh, Idaho doesn’t have any jobs,” that might have been the case 5, 10 years ago, but it’s not the case anymore. There are many open positions, tons of recruiters in the area, and many opportunities to find a job on all these websites-
- governmentjobs.com
- Indeed
So use your resources, and build out your resume. And if you’re interested in finding a job here, take a look; I’m sure you’ll be able to find something soon.
Contact Treasure Valley Dave
So if you find out that relocating to Treasure Valley solves many of your problems and gives you a better quality of life for you and your family and a promising future, then moving forward is your next step. Contact us today to get in touch with your Treasure Valley Dave team to find you a new home!
