Governor Bullock Announces Montana’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.5%

  • — July 19 2019

MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today announced that Montana’s unemployment rate has reached an over 10-year low, decreasing 0.1 percentage points to 3.5% in the month of June.

“While Montana’s economy remains strong, my administration is dedicated to ensuring continued growth,” Governor Bullock said. “As Montana experiences a low unemployment rate and businesses seek talented employees to remain competitive, we are working to engage more Montanans in the workforce by offering ways to balance family and employment responsibilities and expand access to training for in-demand jobs.”

The national unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points in June to 3.7%. 

Total employment, which includes agricultural, payroll and self-employed workers, indicated a gain of 1,019 jobs in June, while the labor force only grew by 499. Payroll employment had significant job gains over the month with 2,200 jobs added. Job gains were widespread across industries, with the largest increases in the Leisure and Hospitality sector with 900 jobs added.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1% in June, with falling energy prices being offset by rising costs of shelter, apparel, and used cars. The index for all items less food and energy, also called core inflation, had its largest increase since January 2018 with a 0.3% increase.

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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 Research and Analysis Bureau at 406-444-4100. 

The next Labor Situation Report for the month of July 2019 will be released on Friday, August 16, 2019.

**** 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. 

****** 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%.

Rank

County

Current Unemployment Rate

Change over Year

Current Employment

Job Change from Last Year

1

Fallon County

1.5

-0.1

1,657

-41

2

McCone County

2.0

0.1

947

3

2

Powder River County

2.0

-0.8

911

-39

2

Sheridan County

2.0

-0.5

1,705

-8

5

Gallatin County

2.1

-0.3

67,318

1,489

5

Garfield County

2.1

-1.1

702

6

7

Chouteau County

2.2

-0.8

2,454

31

8

Daniels County

2.3

0.3

858

26

8

Dawson County

2.3

-0.8

4,631

183

8

Toole County

2.3

-0.7

2,078

-18

11

Liberty County

2.4

-0.5

940

37

12

Fergus County

2.5

-0.7

5,753

60

13

Custer County

2.6

-0.7

6,050

220

13

Treasure County

2.6

-0.3

338

8

13

Valley County

2.6

-0.2

4,010

-134

16

Beaverhead County

2.7

-0.3

4,963

-23

16

Judith Basin County

2.7

0.1

892

29

16

Richland County

2.7

-0.6

5,696

-51

16

Sweet Grass County

2.7

-0.4

1,721

-53

20

Deer Lodge County

2.8

-0.7

5,072

31

20

Lewis and Clark County

2.8

-0.6

35,567

903

20

Meagher County

2.8

-1.0

895

24

20

Missoula County

2.8

-0.4

63,248

1,900

20

Park County

2.8

-0.5

8,899

-2

20

Teton County

2.8

-0.4

2,677

36

20

Wibaux County

2.8

-1.0

451

-9

27

Carter County

2.9

0.5

633

-24

27

Jefferson County

2.9

-0.8

5,592

134

27

Stillwater County

2.9

-0.2

4,980

257

30

Carbon County

3.0

-0.2

5,349

31

30

Phillips County

3.0

-1.2

1,868

49

32

Madison County

3.1

-0.2

3,774

-381

33

Blaine County

3.2

-1.2

2,220

107

33

Cascade County

3.2

-0.4

37,611

534

33

Powell County

3.2

-0.5

2,824

24

33

Yellowstone County

3.2

-0.4

80,138

790

37

Petroleum County

3.3

0.1

265

-9

37

Wheatland County

3.3

-1.5

751

3

39

Prairie County

3.4

-0.2

485

7

40

Silver Bow County

3.5

-0.5

17,047

283

41

Golden Valley County

3.6

-1.3

351

1

41

Ravalli County

3.6

-0.4

19,815

380

43

Broadwater County

3.7

0.1

2,628

80

43

Musselshell County

3.7

-0.8

2,151

-76

43

Pondera County

3.7

-0.8

2,660

53

46

Hill County

3.8

-0.1

7,359

58

46

Lake County

3.8

-0.3

13,176

188

48

Flathead County

4.0

-0.3

47,182

-169

49

Roosevelt County

4.3

-1.1

4,344

57

50

Granite County

4.4

-0.5

1,599

-35

51

Mineral County

4.9

-1.4

1,721

48

52

Rosebud County

5.1

-0.5

3,954

236

52

Sanders County

5.1

-0.8

4,677

145

54

Lincoln County

5.8

-0.9

7,850

17

55

Big Horn County

7.1

-3.1

4,424

-71

56

Glacier County

7.6

-0.6

5,347

-344

****** 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.

 

Rank

County

Current Unemployment Rate

Change over Year

Current Employment

Job Change from Last Year

1

Flathead

4.0

-0.3

12,898

205

2

Fort Peck

5.4

-1.1

3,904

32

3

Fort Belknap

7.5

-2.7

731

34

4

Blackfeet

10.5

-0.9

3,781

-225

5

Rocky Boy's

10.5

-1.0

1,068

10

6

Crow

10.6

-4.4

2,259

-31

6

Northern Cheyenne

12.6

-1.8

1,329

46

Contact Sam Loveridge: Public Information Officer, Department of Labor and Industry
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