Workforce
The Western Treasure Valley has a diversified and strong workforce. The following table shows where the workforce lives:
Table 1
| Where Workers Live Who are Employed in Malheur County, OR; Payette County, ID; and Washington County, ID | ||
| County | Count | Share |
| Malheur County, OR | 7,388 | 35.0% |
| Payette County, ID | 5,866 | 27.8% |
| Washington County, ID | 2,360 | 11.2% |
| Canyon County, ID | 1,353 | 6.4% |
| Ada County, ID | 668 | 3.2% |
| Gem County, ID | 303 | 1.4% |
| All Other Locations | 3,183 | 15.1% |
| Total | 21,121 | 100.0% |
| Both live and work in area | 15,614 | 73.9% |
| Commute in to area for work | 5,507 | 26.1% |
Local Unemployment Statics for the Region
| January 5, 2012 Labor Force Data | ||||
| County | Unemployment rate | Labor force | Employed | Unemployed |
| Malheur County, OR | 8.4% | 13,475 | 12,343 | 1,132 |
| Payette County, ID | 8.7% | 11,105 | 10,134 | 971 |
| Washington County, ID | 9.8% | 4,763 | 4,298 | 465 |
| Region Total | 8.8% | 29,343 | 26,775 | 2,568 |
Education for our Workforce
Treasure Valley Community College, in Ontario, Oregon, serves the county and surrounding area. The college also supports economic development by providing services to businesses, including business advising, workshops and classes to enhance the skills of business owners and employees, and customized training to meet specific employer skill needs.
College of Western Idaho also serves the Western Treasure Valley providing numerous services and training programs.
Eastern Oregon University, one of the largest on-line colleges, offers 11 on-line majors, and 19 minors, without charging out-of-state tuition from their regional site in Ontario, Oregon.
Other colleges – College of Idaho, 20 minutes; College of Western Idaho, 20 minutes; Boise State University, 50 minutes; Eastern Oregon University, main location, 2 hours.
More information is available:
Idaho Department of Labor Helping Business
Oregon Employment Department, WorkSource Oregon, Helping Business
