Business Category
Idaho
Nevada
Utah
Oregon
Washington
Montana
Wyoming
USA
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, mining
5.8%
1.6%
1.9%
3.2%
2.5%
7.9%
10.7%
1.9%
Construction
8.1%
9.2%
8.2%
6.9%
7.0%
7.4%
8.7%
6.8%
Manufacturing
13.1%
4.9%
12.1%
14.4%
12.5%
6.0%
4.9%
14.1%
Wholesale Trade
3.6%
2.7%
3.5%
4.1%
4.1%
3.0%
2.3%
3.6%
Retail Trade
12.6%
11.3%
12.8%
12.5%
12.1%
12.8%
11.8%
11.7%
Transportation and warehousing, utilities
4.7%
5.2%
4.9%
4.7%
5.4%
5.4%
6.6%
5.2%
Information
2.3%
2.2%
3.3%
2.4%
3.4%
2.2%
2.2%
3.1%
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing
5.1%
6.5%
6.8%
6.1%
6.1%
5.5%
4.7%
6.9%
Professional, scientific, management, administrative, waste management services
8.0%
8.8%
9.4%
8.9%
9.8%
6.5%
5.9%
9.3
Educational, health and social services
19.2%
12.9%
19.2%
19.3%
19.4%
21.7%
21.5%
19.9%
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services
8.0%
26.3%
8.0%
8.2%
7.9%
10.4%
9.6%
7.9%
Other Services (except public administration)
4.5%
3.9%
4.4%
4.9%
4.8%
5.3%
4.9%
4.9%
Public Administration
5.1%
4.5%
5.5%
4.4%
5.0%
5.9%
6.3%
4.8%
We truly have much more in common economically than we have that differentiates us and we need to look for solutions that address the common good. Now more than ever being a strong advocate for Idahoans means being a strong advocate for educators, health care workers, construction workers, manufacturers, retailers, food service workers, transportation workers, as well as farmers, ranchers, miners, and a host of professions where we as a people provide goods and service to one another. When the founding fathers were writing the Declaration of Independence, they grappled over the wording, particularly with the idea of whether, in addition to the basic human rights of Life and Liberty, it was the pursuit of happiness or the ownership and control of property that should be declared as one of the governing ideals for this "land of liberty." They understood very well that the right to control one's resources was in large measure what the cause of liberty was about because in order to make an effective choice a person must have within their control the means to realize the desired result. They understood that capitalism was an essential element of freedom, however, while capitalism was a needed component, there was something greater of which it was only a part. The something greater is free-enterprise. The essential components of a system of free-enterprise include control of property (capitalism), willingness to assume risk, minimized regulation, diversification and differentiation in the marketplace (antimonopoly), free-trade (minimized tariffs and excise taxes), and universal currency among other things. The founding fathers diligently researched and deliberated on these matters and implemented these things into American society both before and after the revolutionary war. They understood that the revolution that was occurring was not simply a military endeavor. We in this generation must preserve and protect these ideals as well if we want our freedoms and way of life to endure.