BOISE — The Idaho Department of Labor says the statewide unemployment held steady at 9.4 percent in June.

The agency released the latest jobless numbers today, saying the Idaho labor pool shrunk for the first time in 10 months as fewer jobs were created and more than 1,800 unemployed workers either gave up their search or left the state in June.

Idaho’s jobless rate fell to 9.4 percent in May, down from 9.6 percent in April.

The labor department says more than 30,000 unemployed workers collected $28.8 million in benefits last month, which is down compared to a year ago when more than 38,000 workers received $41.7 million in June 2010.

The state reports more than 10,600 unemployed workers have exhausted their benefits and are still without work.

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