Oregon Public Broadcasting

Idaho's economy continues to grow, but at a very slow rate. State officials say Idaho's jobless rate nudged up a tenth-of-a-percent in August to 8.9%.

Labor Department Spokesman Bob Fick says, for the third month in a row, fewer people were looking for work. He says that shows unemployed workers are losing confidence again in the job market.

He says even the positive signs, such as job growth in the private sector, are tepid at best.

Bob Fick: "The increase in the private sector jobs was an increase, but only a slight one and not anywhere near what a normal economy would produce. So, the economy's looking for something to move and it hasn't found it yet."

Fick says there are more than 67,000 unemployed workers in Idaho.

More than 8,000 of them are now getting unemployment checks again because Congress has extended jobless benefits.