Learn about the past 100 years of Idaho employment at Labor webinar

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 7, 2026
Media Contact: [email protected]

Idaho Department of Labor Economist Lisa Grigg will compare and contrast how economic factors in the 1920s and 2020s have structurally shaped Idaho employment in a webinar, Tuesday, July 14.

"Both of these eras - 100 years apart - highlight how Idaho's labor market has adapted to significant technological shifts and external labor shocks," Grigg said. "Many decisions in the 1920s surrounding the state's natural resources and occupational roles laid important cornerstones for the labor market of today."

HannaLore Hein, state historian of the Idaho State Historical Society, will be a guest speaker. Hein will offer insight into high level employment themes and cultural transitions that defined the 1920s and set the foundation for today's labor force.

"When we bring historical perspective into conversations about jobs, technology and the economy, we show that Idaho's experience during the 1920s is very textured compared to the main topics most people associate with this period - such as flappers, The Prohibition, The Great Depression and the stock market crash," Hein said.

The webinar takes place from 11 a.m. to noon MT over Zoom.

Register for webinar

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This Idaho Department of Labor project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor for SFY26 as part of a Workforce Information grant (41%) and state/nonfederal funds (59%) totaling $860,595.