BUSINESS BEAT: A good job outlook costs Labor Department

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1273174/

Saturday, March 29, 2008; Posted: 10:31 AM

Mar 29, 2008 (The Times-News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- -- Low unemployment may be good for south-central Idaho, but it's bad for business at the Idaho Department of Labor.

That's because the federal government reimburses labor departments for each jobless claim filed -- a kind of disincentive when it comes to finding jobs for the jobless.

Yet folks at the Idaho Department of Labor soldier on, slowly working themselves out of a job.

And they're good at their work: The agency is downsizing in light of budget cuts ordered by the Legislature and declining federal support.

Labor is relying on attrition rather than lay-offs to downsize regional offices

It's not something we hear much about because labor officials are too busy finding work for about 110 workers, who were recently laid off at North American Foods in Glenns Ferry. Or they're scrambling to find winter jobs for seasonal laborers the agricultural industry will need for next fall's harvest.

FULL story at link.