Commerce director stresses workforce investment
BOISE — Idaho Department of Commerce Director Jeff Sayer told a Senate committee Thursday the single biggest issue holding back Idaho’s economy is its workforce.
Sayer summarized the effectiveness of the state’s Tax Reimbursement Incentive before the Commerce and Human Resources Committee as part of his presentation, saying nine projects have been approved under the act since July 1, including SkyWest Airlines in Boise and Amy’s Kitchen in Pocatello. The nine projects have provided 1,710 new jobs and $75 million in new state revenue.
However, all of that doesn’t solve the problem of a gap in the number of people in Idaho’s workforce and the demand for jobs. Sayer said there is a shortage of 95,000 workers who are qualified for the jobs Idaho needs to grow.