Montana’s Unemployment Rate at 3.2%

Montana's Unemployment Rate at 3.2%

Record stretch of 38 consecutive months of state's unemployment rate at or below 3.4%

• September 20 2024

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana's unemployment rate rose 0.1% to 3.2% in August and remains a percentage point below the national average of 4.2%, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

"Thanks to our impressive job and wage growth, Montanans are better equipped to handle still-high inflation brought on by the Biden-Harris administration," Gov. Gianforte said. "We'll continue to grow our economy and welcome investment from around the world to create good-paying jobs and help more Montanans reach the American dream."

The state's unemployment rate of 3.2% in August continues a record of 38 consecutive months with the rate at or below 3.4%. The next closest stretch was during 2006 and 2007, when the state's unemployment rate remained at or below 3.4% for 15 consecutive months.

In a recent report, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry announced that under Gov. Gianforte's leadership, Montana's labor force reached a record high of 580,000 people in 2023, with more than 10,000 Montanans entering the labor force last year alone. Last month, total employment rose by 532 jobs and 1,046 more Montanans entered the labor force. Payroll employment rose by 1,700 jobs. Job gains in construction and the public sector contributed to employment increases.

Montana was recently announced as the state with the 2nd fastest wage growth in the nation and 8th for the fastest job growth.

BLS reports inflation continued to moderate as the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.2% in August, the same increase as in July, on a seasonally adjusted basis for a 12-month change of 2.5%. Shelter costs continue to be the main contributor to overall inflation, rising 0.5% in August, while gasoline prices decline.

While inflation continues, studies show Montana was one of only two states where wages have outpaced inflation since 2020.

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** Unemployment figures are seasonally-adjusted. Seasonally-adjusted numbers remove the effects of events that follow a more or less regular month-to-month pattern each year. These adjustments make non-seasonal patterns easier to identify. The margin of error for the unemployment rate is plus or minus 0.5 percentage points at the 90 percent confidence level. All questions relating to the calculation of unemployment rates should be directed to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry's Data and Operations Bureau at 406-444-4100.

**** INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET ****

Visit our website at www.lmi.mt.gov for additional information and analysis, including industry employment levels, background on the unemployment rate, and wage rates by occupation. Visit www.lmi.mt.gov/home/job-tracking for Montana unemployment claims and current economic data.

****** COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ******

The unemployment rate and ranking for each of Montana's 56 counties is provided below for your convenience. County unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted and should be compared to the unadjusted statewide unemployment rate of 3.2%.

	Unemployment Rate	Employment
Rank	County	Current Unemployment Rate	Change over Year	Current Employment	Job Change from Last Year
1	Fallon	1.7	0.1	1,724	99
2	Prairie	2.1	0.2	664	35
3	Daniels	2.2	0	840	-9
3	Garfield	2.2	0	707	38
5	Gallatin	2.3	0.4	83,399	3737
5	Meagher	2.3	0.2	999	77
5	Powder River	2.3	0.6	1,032	67
5	Sweet Grass	2.3	0.1	1,923	58
9	Park	2.5	0.4	10,793	-71
10	Beaverhead	2.6	0.4	5,259	249
10	Custer	2.6	0.2	6,161	41
10	Sheridan	2.6	0.8	1,718	54
10	Valley	2.6	0.6	3,986	91
14	Carbon	2.8	0.2	5,724	-6
14	Deer Lodge	2.8	0.4	5,453	-48
14	Jefferson	2.8	0.2	6,110	113
14	Lewis and Clark	2.8	0.3	38,812	592
14	Liberty	2.8	0	948	9
14	McCone	2.8	0.7	954	20
20	Chouteau	2.9	-0.6	2,475	177
20	Dawson	2.9	0.1	4,099	68
20	Richland	2.9	0.3	5,529	6
20	Stillwater	2.9	0.6	5,160	-139
24	Fergus	3	0.7	5,778	173
24	Teton	3	0.4	2,776	131
24	Treasure	3	-0.1	325	11
27	Broadwater	3.1	0	2,891	58
27	Carter	3.1	1	696	32
27	Powell	3.1	0.5	3,021	83
30	Hill	3.2	0.7	7,397	-192
30	Phillips	3.2	-0.4	1,660	44
32	Missoula	3.3	0.7	66,900	-243
32	Ravalli	3.3	0.7	22,059	-41
32	Yellowstone	3.3	0.7	85,607	-1,017
35	Cascade	3.4	0.7	37,738	-508
35	Flathead	3.4	0.5	54,979	586
37	Musselshell	3.5	0.4	2,297	19
37	Toole	3.5	1.2	2,068	35
39	Silver Bow	3.6	0.6	17,788	-138
40	Judith Basin	3.7	1.5	951	95
40	Pondera	3.7	0.3	2,457	-53
42	Granite	3.8	0.9	1,602	-58
42	Lake	3.8	0.5	14,136	74
42	Wibaux	3.8	1.4	432	22
45	Madison	3.9	1.5	3,516	-833
45	Wheatland	3.9	1.2	733	36
47	Petroleum	4	0.6	261	9
48	Roosevelt	4.2	0.5	4,103	42
49	Blaine	4.3	0.9	2,071	60
50	Golden Valley	4.4	2	369	5
50	Rosebud	4.4	0.8	3,491	14
52	Sanders	4.6	0.4	5,389	28
53	Glacier	4.9	0	5,991	123
54	Big Horn	5	0.9	4,335	59
55	Lincoln	5.1	0.7	8,794	322
56	Mineral	5.7	1.8	1,821	-77

****** RESERVATION UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ******

The unemployment rate and ranking for each of Montana's seven reservations is provided below. Reservation unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted and should be compared to the unadjusted statewide unemployment rate of 3.2%. Reservation areas overlap with county areas, meaning that unemployed individuals living on a reservation will be included in both the reservation and county totals.

	Unemployment Rate	Employment
Rank	County	Current Unemployment Rate	Change over Year	Current Employment	Job Change from Last Year
1	Flathead	4.0	0.5	13,890	68
2	Fort Peck	5.2	0.6	3,712	44
3	Blackfeet	7.1	0	4,192	78
4	Crow	7.6	1.4	2,245	25
5	Fort Belknap	9.1	1.2	681	20
6	Rocky Boy's	10.1	0.8	1,075	5
7	Northern Cheyenne	10.6	1.8	1,215	8

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