Idaho’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.6% in July. That is down from 3.7% in June, and it sits below the national rate of 4.1%.

The Idaho Department of Labor released the numbers on Aug. 21. About 36,244 Idahoans were counted as unemployed, which was 516 fewer than in June. The labor force stood at 998,870 people, with 962,626 of them working.

For anyone living in the Treasure Valley, a 3.6% rate means the job market is still tight. A smaller share of people here are out of work than in the country as a whole. That can mean more options if you are job hunting, and slower hiring if you are the one trying to fill a role.

The gap is easiest to see next to the West Coast. Oregon’s July rate was 5.2%, where it has sat every month since January. Washington came in at 5.0%. Utah matched Idaho at 3.6%. Each of those figures comes from that state’s own July labor release.Idaho’s nonfarm jobs grew by 1,200 in July, for a total of 886,800. Over the past year the state added 4,200 jobs, a gain of 0.5%. Information led the monthly gains at 2.3%, followed by natural resources at 2.2%, real estate and rental and leasing at 1.7%, and finance and insurance at 1.0%. On the other side, administrative, support and waste management services fell 1.7%, arts, entertainment and recreation fell 1.4%, and accommodation and food services slipped 0.5%.

Among Idaho’s six metro areas, Boise and Coeur d’Alene each added jobs in July, up 0.1%. Lewiston fell 0.7% and Idaho Falls fell 0.2%. Pocatello and Twin Falls held steady.

One number deserves a caveat. Idaho’s labor force actually shrank by 1,523 people in July, and employment dipped by 1,007. Labor force participation eased to 61.6%. When fewer people are working or looking for work, the unemployment rate can drift down even when hiring is only steady. So this is a low rate on a slightly smaller base, not a hiring boom.

If you are moving to Idaho from Oregon or Washington, the simple takeaway is that you are landing in a state where a smaller share of people are out of work than in the market you left. The pace of job growth has cooled from the boom years, but the jobless rate is holding low.

Stay tuned to Treasure Idaho for continued coverage of the numbers behind the move