Idaho’s Unemployment Rose in August

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a percentage point in August to 6.8 percent. The Department of Labor says the state's jobless rate has risen seven tenths of a percentage point since April, one of the largest rate increases among the states in the past four months.

Still, the rate is down from 7 percent last August. The number of Idaho workers without jobs was nearly 52,300, the highest total since September 2012. Department analysts believe more Idahoans may be working multiple jobs to meet the hiring demands of employers and make ends meet.

Last year, 24.2 percent of Idaho jobs were part-time, compared to 18.2 percent before the recession. Idaho's unemployment rate remained below the national rate of 7.3 percent for August.