America should take note. Idaho is headed in the right direction economically

The latest unemployment numbers continue to put Idaho in the top tier of states when it comes to economic recovery. The number of people on unemployment in the Gem State is rapidly approaching pre-COVID levels — a huge triumph for Gov. Brad Little, state policymakers, and more importantly, hardworking Idahoans.

Yet Idaho, like most states, is also grappling with an ongoing labor shortage. There are thousands of available jobs across the state and many businesses are struggling to find workers. But there’s good news for Idaho. While experts continue to theorize about the cause of the labor shortage and changing workforce demographics, policies are already at play in Idaho that are working to grow and attract new workers in the years to come. And many of these pro-job, pro-growth policies were adopted long before COVID-19.

Overregulation hampers innovation and job growth and creates costly barriers to entry for many would-be entrepreneurs. At the start of 2019, Idaho’s regulatory code had grown to more than 8,200 pages that contained more than 72,000 restrictions. One of Gov. Little’s first actions in office was to prioritize regulatory reform to rein in this bureaucratic overreach and spur economic growth.

Under Little’s leadership, Idaho cut or simplified 75 percent of the state’s regulations in just one year, surpassing South Dakota as the least regulated state in the nation — a major attraction for businesses and entrepreneurs. But he didn’t stop there.

The following year, Gov. Little issued an executive order to implement “zero-based regulation,” a policy that safeguards Idaho’s position as the least regulated state in the nation. Zero-based regulation requires state agencies to routinely justify any regulations they wish to keep on the books. This keeps bureaucrats accountable for the economic impacts their regulations have on local businesses, helping to ensure Idaho’s regulatory code does not slowly return to its previously bloated state.

Regulatory reform is just one of several factors that have contributed to Idaho’s supercharged economy. And it would be easy for Gov. Little to coast on the positive reports about Idaho’s job growth, net migration, and economic recovery. But the Little administration is still working to bring even more workers into the fold and develop a young and diverse workforce.

Earlier this year, Gov. Little announced a new partnership between Boys and Girls Clubs and the state’s Workforce Development Council. It creates apprenticeships for young Idahoans aged 16-24, allowing apprentices to earn a paycheck and education credits while working with children. The program will help bolster Idaho’s childcare and education workforce by investing in the next generation of teachers and childcare workers, while simultaneously focusing more attention on Idaho students, many of whom need making up for lost learning throughout the pandemic.

It’s a straightforward program that allows students to earn college credit or work toward their credentials. And it’s innovative partnerships like this, that will help keep Idaho on the map as a state full of opportunity and void of red tape.

The past two years have been a challenge in many ways, but Idaho has been set on a path for long-term economic growth under Gov. Little. Idahoans should be proud of where the state is headed and the policies that continue to keep them on that course. And more states should chart a similar course.