BOISE -- The Idaho Department of Labor reports that the number of residents getting state unemployment checks last dropped below 10,000 -- the lowest total in five years.
Officials say it's another signal the state's economy is on the rebound.
Agency records show 9,645 people received unemployment insurance checks last week, down 400 from the week before and the lowest since November 2007.
The decline does not include an additional 8,000 recipients still getting federal extended benefits.
The state paid out $2.2 million in benefits last week. That amount is significantly less than the $11 million dispersed during a one-week period in 2009 at the height of the recession.
Idaho's unemployment rate for June was 7.7 percent, down from 8.9 percent in July 2010.
