Labor Dept. to defray impact of Micron cuts 

The Idaho Department of Labor plans to open its Boise, Meridian and Caldwell offices specifically to provide service to dislocated Micron workers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through Nov. 8, department Director Roger Madsen said today. That was slated to start Oct. 11 and to continue Oct. 15 following the Columbus Day holiday. The hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. These hours, and the Nov. 8 end date, can be extended if demand warrants, he said.

Job-search assistance and career counseling will be provided to displaced Micron workers who attend the special sessions or go to Idaho Department of Labor offices during regular office hours, he said.
Micron employees can receive financial assistance for job training and tuition, and for relocation, under a national emergency grant, Madsen said. They can receive unemployment insurance benefits for an extended period under federal rules, he said.
Micron, Idaho’s largest private employer, said in a release that it is “committed to assisting employees affected by the workforce reductions and is providing severance and outplacement services.” The company did not provide details.
Idaho has about $1 million remaining from an emergency grant that the U.S. Department of Labor issued in the summer of 2007 after Micron laid off about 1,100 workers in Boise, Idaho Department of Labor spokesman Bob Fick said. “If that is not sufficient, we will immediately apply to have the grant increased.”
He said 215 people affected by the 2007 layoffs are enrolled in training under the national grant.
The nationwide semiconductor-manufacturing sector has struggled in recent months and also never fully replaced jobs shed in 2001, said Idaho Department of Labor Chief Research Officer Bob Uhlenkott. “This dip is on top of that, and the challenge is that the average wage for the semiconductor and high-tech industry is about $60,000 a year, nearly twice what the average is for the state,” he said.
Uhlenkott said the $60,000 figure includes executives, and so many of the displaced workers likely are in the $30,000-$40,000 range.
“We’re very, very sad for the employees and their families,” Madsen said Oct. 9. “It’s a difficult day.” He added: “This is a tough time internationally, for America, the Northwest and Idaho.”
The Idaho Department of Labor will continue to work with the Idaho Department of Commerce, the Governor’s Office and groups like the Boise Valley Economic Partnership to recruit companies to Idaho and to help existing companies expand, he said.
Boise at times has been unable to attract companies because it had such a strong job market with a low unemployment rate, so current conditions could present some opportunities for companies, Madsen said.
Idaho unemployment stood at 5 percent in September, up from 4.6 percent in August and 2.7 percent in September 2007. Just fewer than 721,600 people were working in September 2008, 15,400 fewer than a year ago.

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