MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today announced that Montana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3% in September, with no change from the prior month.
“As Montana’s unemployment rate stays low and businesses seek skilled employees, we are responding by engaging more Montanans in the workforce,” Governor Bullock said. “Through world-class education, work-based learning and Registered Apprenticeship opportunities, my administration is working to bring more people into Montana’s labor market to fill worker demand and ensure all Montanans can enjoy our continued economic success.”
The U.S. unemployment rate declined 0.2 percentage points to 3.5%.
Total employment, which includes agricultural, payroll and self-employed workers, indicated a gain of 238 jobs, while the labor force grew by 345. The number of unemployed people increased by 107 people. Payroll employment fell by 1,300 jobs over the month, with small and broad-based job losses across most private industries. Retail trade and state and local governments made small job gains.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) remains unchanged for September, with declines in gasoline prices offsetting increases in other goods. The index for all items less food and energy, also called core inflation, rose by 0.1%. Core inflation rose 2.4% over the last twelve months, with inflation firming from recent years.
***
** 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 October 2019 will be released on Tuesday, November 19, 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 3.0%.
Rank |
County |
Current Unemployment Rate |
Change over Year |
Current Employment |
Job Change from Last Year |
1 |
Fallon |
1.8 |
0.1 |
1,622 |
-45 |
2 |
Gallatin |
1.9 |
-0.2 |
67,694 |
2,143 |
3 |
McCone |
2 |
0 |
951 |
-14 |
3 |
Treasure |
2 |
-0.6 |
340 |
-1 |
5 |
Daniels |
2.1 |
-0.4 |
852 |
-16 |
5 |
Garfield |
2.1 |
-0.4 |
736 |
1 |
7 |
Carter |
2.2 |
0.1 |
668 |
2 |
7 |
Powder River |
2.2 |
-0.4 |
932 |
-22 |
9 |
Sheridan |
2.3 |
0.2 |
1,657 |
-76 |
9 |
Toole |
2.3 |
0.2 |
2,038 |
-35 |
11 |
Beaverhead |
2.4 |
-0.3 |
4,976 |
20 |
11 |
Chouteau |
2.4 |
-0.1 |
2,452 |
27 |
11 |
Liberty |
2.4 |
-0.3 |
969 |
7 |
11 |
Park |
2.4 |
-0.5 |
8,969 |
188 |
15 |
Custer |
2.5 |
0.2 |
5,775 |
-92 |
15 |
Dawson |
2.5 |
0.2 |
4,455 |
-20 |
15 |
Fergus |
2.5 |
-0.2 |
5,702 |
54 |
15 |
Petroleum |
2.5 |
-0.7 |
274 |
-2 |
15 |
Sweet Grass |
2.5 |
0.1 |
1,710 |
-8 |
20 |
Carbon |
2.6 |
-0.3 |
5,319 |
-3 |
20 |
Judith Basin |
2.6 |
0.1 |
941 |
4 |
20 |
Meagher |
2.6 |
-0.9 |
931 |
10 |
23 |
Deer Lodge |
2.7 |
-0.2 |
4,948 |
-23 |
23 |
Lewis and Clark |
2.7 |
-0.2 |
34,447 |
149 |
23 |
Missoula |
2.7 |
-0.1 |
62,445 |
801 |
23 |
Phillips |
2.7 |
-0.6 |
1,884 |
9 |
23 |
Stillwater |
2.7 |
-0.2 |
4,879 |
61 |
28 |
Madison |
2.8 |
-0.2 |
4,099 |
27 |
28 |
Teton |
2.8 |
0.1 |
2,640 |
-26 |
30 |
Jefferson |
2.9 |
-0.5 |
5,450 |
24 |
30 |
Wibaux |
2.9 |
-0.5 |
431 |
-18 |
30 |
Yellowstone |
2.9 |
-0.1 |
78,694 |
171 |
33 |
Wheatland |
3 |
-1.3 |
764 |
5 |
34 |
Cascade |
3.1 |
-0.2 |
36,490 |
56 |
34 |
Richland |
3.1 |
0.4 |
5,470 |
-202 |
36 |
Blaine |
3.2 |
-0.2 |
2,189 |
-30 |
36 |
Broadwater |
3.2 |
-0.3 |
2,553 |
29 |
36 |
Pondera |
3.2 |
-0.5 |
2,578 |
-26 |
36 |
Silver Bow |
3.2 |
-0.4 |
16,516 |
39 |
36 |
Valley |
3.2 |
0.8 |
3,872 |
-73 |
41 |
Powell |
3.3 |
0.1 |
2,827 |
-12 |
41 |
Ravalli |
3.3 |
-0.3 |
19,342 |
159 |
43 |
Hill |
3.4 |
0.1 |
7,295 |
-35 |
44 |
Golden Valley |
3.5 |
-0.3 |
357 |
1 |
45 |
Flathead |
3.6 |
-0.3 |
46,569 |
872 |
45 |
Lake |
3.6 |
0 |
12,787 |
135 |
47 |
Musselshell |
3.8 |
0.1 |
2,101 |
-47 |
47 |
Roosevelt |
3.8 |
0 |
4,212 |
-34 |
49 |
Prairie |
3.9 |
1 |
471 |
1 |
50 |
Granite |
4.2 |
-0.3 |
1,623 |
37 |
51 |
Rosebud |
4.3 |
-0.5 |
3,633 |
-58 |
52 |
Sanders |
4.5 |
-0.1 |
4,624 |
28 |
53 |
Mineral |
4.6 |
-0.4 |
1,712 |
19 |
54 |
Glacier |
5.7 |
-0.3 |
5,558 |
-17 |
55 |
Lincoln |
5.8 |
0.5 |
7,755 |
120 |
56 |
Big Horn |
6.4 |
-2.3 |
4,462 |
-173 |
****** 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 3.0%. 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 |
3.8 |
0.0 |
12,539 |
130 |
2 |
Fort Peck |
4.9 |
-0.1 |
3,784 |
-37 |
3 |
Fort Belknap |
7.3 |
0.5 |
723 |
-9 |
4 |
Blackfeet |
8.1 |
0.5 |
3,914 |
-14 |
5 |
Crow |
9.6 |
3.3 |
2,272 |
-80 |
6 |
Rocky Boy's |
9.9 |
0.0 |
1,061 |
0 |
7 |
Northern Cheyenne |
10.8 |
1.6 |
1,261 |
-30 |