Introduction With the unemployment rate throughout the U.S. at 4 percent and Idaho’s rate at 2.6 percent as of December, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain top employees for their organizations. It’s a battle for talent, ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: Laboring over labor – minimum wage, coworking and other workforce trends
Breakfast Series report – Urban in Idaho: Smart planning for future growth 
Introduction Idaho is growing fast, by some counts faster than any other state, and the growth is concentrated in the southwestern counties. The population boom brings prosperity, change and challenges. For instance, this summer, the median price for Canyon and ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report – Power of Choice: Energy in Idaho
Introduction Idaho has long enjoyed the benefit of low power costs. As the Treasure Valley’s population grows, Idaho utilities are looking for ways to keep up with the growth and to keep power affordable. Researchers, interest groups and utilities are ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: Ida-Go! Tourism in Idaho
Introduction Hundreds of thousands of people visit Idaho each year to hike, hunt, fish, bicycle, swim, and carry out other recreational activities. Tourism and travel in Idaho is a $4.5 billion industry that employs about 29,000 Idahoans. At IBR’s breakfast ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: Agriculture in Idaho
Agriculture contributes $3 billion to Idaho’s economy, making up 5 percent of the total state gross domestic product. Idaho is ranked first in the nation in the production of potatoes and barley, and fourth in the nation for milk and ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: Money matters
Introduction: Banking and financial services have experienced tremendous growth and change in the last decade as the nation has recovered from the recession and has implemented new rules for governing lenders. Leaders of banks, credit unions and other financial institutions ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: Data security
Cybersecurity Data breaches are on the rise, with 780 reported in 2015 and 1,093 in 2016, according to Identity Theft Resource Center and CyberScout. Globally, the attacks are costing us hundreds of billions of dollars every year, with experts estimating ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: Small business and regulation
Introduction: Managing regulation State and federal regulation is a fact of life in small business. Even before the business gets off the ground, entrepreneurs need to be knowledgeable about the implications of choosing a business structure, sophisticated about choosing a ...
Read More »Breakfast Series report: A rapidly evolving retail landscape
Introduction: Managing change online and on the ground Boise has made its way to the national radar when it comes to retail. Where once it used to be one of the last states considered for expansions, now it’s getting some ...
Read More »Supporting the Workforce: The evolving role of the human resource professional 
Introduction The role of the human resources professional is critical. With staffing now the No. 1 concern for many business owners and managers, HR professionals play a key role in identifying candidates, selecting the best employees, helping businesses stay in ...
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