Industrial employment in Idaho has continued to soar, as newly released numbers reveal the rate of employment almost doubled from the previous year’s gains, which already stood at an impressive 1.5 percent.
Manufacturers’ News reported that Idaho houses 2,114 manufacturers and more than 75,000 workers. Over the course of just one year, from October 2012 to October 2013, the industry saw the creation of almost 2,000 new jobs, which placed Idaho’s growth 2 percent higher than the national average.
Tom Dubin, president of Manufacturers’ News, said in a release that the manufacturing industry in Idaho has just begun to truly recover from the recession that ravaged the state several years ago.
“The state maintains a winning mix of abundant natural resources, educated workforce and low business costs, resulting in many companies reinvesting in its manufacturing sector, particularly those in the food product sector,” Dubin said.
The area with the highest recorded increase was the manufacturing sector, which grew by 5.4 percent over the course of the year, partially thanks to several large manufacturing plants opening in the state. In addition to large amounts of growth seen in this industry, Idaho saw employment gains in the industrial machinery and lumber/wood sectors.