1 in 8 Canyon County workers jobless

Canyon County's dubious distinction is especially notable for a month when the state's jobless rate reached a level not seen since 1983: 8.3 percent in June, up half a percentage point from May.

It was also the first time Canyon County topped all other Idaho counties since the state began tracking local unemployment rates in 1978.

Of the 3,400 people in Idaho who lost jobs in June, about 1,100 were Canyon County residents, Idaho Department of Labor spokesman Bob Fick said Friday.

But there haven't been major layoffs at businesses over the past month in Canyon County, local and state officials say.

Mayor Tom Dale said Nampa was hit hard by the closure of MPC Computers late last year, but he couldn't think of any major layoffs or closures that would account for Canyon County's June spike in joblessness.

"It could be the business decline in Ada County impacting unemployment numbers in Canyon County," Dale told the Idaho Statesman.

Fick said that's likely the case, because many Canyon County residents commute to jobs at Micron, Hewlett-Packard Co. and other businesses.

Sometimes layoffs at businesses drag on for many months, as is the case of Micron, which is in the process of laying off about 2,000 people by August.

"There's a continuous reduction," Fick said. "It's like a steady drip, drip, drip."

Steve Fultz, director of the Caldwell/Canyon Economic Development Council, said Canyon County has a lot of young families whose workers have little experience and are more vulnerable than others to layoffs in all business sectors.

"We are a younger population, with less seniority," he said.

At 13.5 percent, Caldwell had the highest jobless rate of the state's largest cities.

That may sound bleak, but Fultz said there's hope for new jobs in the county. He said he's working with two manufacturers that may locate in Caldwell within the next year.

Fultz also said the wine industry is growing. Two new vintners have moved into the University of Idaho Business & Technology Incubator in Caldwell.

Fultz said the Caldwell/Canyon Economic Development Council is pushing to retain the University of Idaho's Parma Research and Extension Center.

University officials announced the recommendation to close the site as part of state-mandated budget cuts.

And agriculture remains economically strong, he said. "We need to start looking at hanging our hat on that sector a little more," Fultz said.

One agribusiness that's expanding is Sorrento Lactalis. The Nampa cheesemaker has more than 500 employees and plans to add 50 more full-time jobs with benefits. The company estimates construction will create about 250 jobs during the 14-month project.

"Sorrento's expansion is such great news," Dale said. "That's the kind of thing we need to encourage."

Nampa saw the loss of three big-name retailers this year - Sportsman's Warehouse, Joe's and OfficeMax - but it soon will be gaining some other major businesses, including Sports Authority and Idaho Athletic Club.

Other highlights from Friday's monthly unemployment report:

® The nation's unemployment rate edged up a tenth of a percentage point to 9.5 percent.

® The ranks of the unemployed in Idaho swelled to more than 62,000 - for the first time ever.

® Job opportunities were down in all sectors, except education and health care, when compared with June averages for the past five years.

Fick said there were 2,900 more jobs in Idaho in June than there were in May, but economic models show there should have been about 6,100 jobs added.

Katy Moeller: 377-6413