MNI Survey: Hiring in Idaho's Manufacturing Sector Picks up Speed

Above: Inside Chobani's massive  yogurt plant in Twin Falls, ID. Chobani is among Idaho's largest industrial employers. (Image courtesy of PRNewswire)

Manufacturing employment in Idaho edged up a half percent up over the past year, according to MNI, compiler and publisher of comprehensive business profiles of more than 460,000 U.S. industrial companies.

Idaho Manufacturing Employment Trends

According to MNI’s survey of the state’s manufacturers, Idaho added a net 348 jobs or roughly 4% between November 2022 and November 2023. Idaho is currently home to 1,788 manufacturers employing 86,870 workers according to MNI data.

Idhao's Top Industries

Industrial machinery is Idaho’s top manufacturing sector based on number employees, with 21,091 workers, with jobs steady over the year. Food processing ranks second with 17,748 workers. Over the past year, employment in this sector rose 2.1%. Third-ranked lumber & wood products accounts for 8,767 workers, with no significant change reported.

Manufacturing sub-sectors that posted notable employment gains in Idaho over the year included boat building & repair, up 61%; dehydrated fruits, vegetables and soups, up 8%; and plastic products, up 6%.

Idaho's Top Manufacturing Cities

MNI’s city data reveals Boise ranks as Idaho’ top city by number of industrial jobs, home to 27,856 workers, with no significant change reported over the year. Second-ranked Nampa accounts for 6,969 jobs, up 1.4% over the past year, while Idaho Falls employs 5,180 with no significant change reported over the year.

Top manufacturing cities in Idaho that posted employment gains over the past year include Caldwell, which gained 2.2% and Coeur d'Alene, which advanced 8.5%.

New companies opening up in Idaho included Morton Buildings, which established a new facility in Pocatello in in the summer of 2023. The new plant will produce construction components used in Morton’s buildings, including residential, commercial, equestrian and farm structures.

Want to know more about Idaho manufacturing companies? Read our post Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Idaho. Looking to contact Idaho manufacturing companies? Learn more about our Idaho data for sales, marketing, business development and research here.