STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

The topic of remote work will be explored during the next Roundtable held by Sun Valley Economic Development (SVED).

The roundtable will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at the Sun Valley Culinary Institute in Ketchum. The event will kick off with networking, drinks and nibbles followed by the roundtable discussion.

To reserve a space, email harry@sunvalleyeconomy.org.

The Sun Valley area has about 1,900 remote workers, according to Harry Griffith, the SVED’s executive director.

The SVED follows economic trends in the valley and secures investments through direct grant awards to local organizations, innovative project startups like the Sun Valley Culinary Institute and Idaho Tax Reimbursement incentive awards to local companies that expand or relocate in Blaine County.

During the past five years SVED has channeled more than $40 million dollars in to Blaine County via new jobs, salaries and capital investments.

Griffith said the latest data indicates that the local economy is finally cooling.

Griffith reports that average wage inflation in Blaine County has slowed from double digits in the previous three years to just 2 percent in 2023. Two of the largest employment sectors in the community—leisure/hospitality and construction—showed modest wage increases of 3 percent and 4 percent respectively.

Griffith said consumer inflation in the community is nearly impossible to determine. But It was pegged at between 3 percent and 4 p.m. in 2023. Additionally, the average price of a meal in Blaine County increased by 4.3 percent between 2020 and 2021, according to Feeding America.

To learn more of SVED’s work, visit https://sunvalleyeconomy.com/