Boise has enjoyed an unprecedented period of economic growth. Prior to 2002, it had been twenty years since the city experienced a year in which its total employment had not posted an overall gain from prior year levels. That string of remarkable growth started rather modestly with annual employment gains averaging 2.4% per year, only marginally faster than the nation as a whole, during the years 1983 through 1987. However, the pace of growth quickened in the next seven years, 1988 to 1994, with annual average employment gains of 6.8% per year, -- nearly 3.5 times the national rate.

Since 1994 job growth in the City continued to outpace the nation and Idaho with annual employment gains that averaged 4.5% per year through the year 2000. At times the total employment gains in the City and its major area of direct impact, the Boise MSA (Ada and Canyon counties), accounted for nearly all of the employment growth in the state of Idaho.

However, in 2001 it became obvious that this period of economic prosperity was in danger of stalling. As it did. Furthermore, the momentum for this economic slowdown was firmly in place prior to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.