HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 2.7% in March, marking the sixth consecutive month of unemployment below 3%. Today’s report marks Montana’s 45th consecutive month of unemployment at or below 3.4%.
"For six months, Montana's unemployment rate has remained below 3%, with nearly two job openings for every unemployed worker,” Governor Gianforte said. “Through our efforts to lower taxes and remove red tape, we’ve have created an environment that empowers entrepreneurs and businesses to invest and create good-paying jobs for Montanans across our state.”
Montana’s unemployment rate was 1.5% lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.2% in March.
Total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers) decreased slightly in March. Payroll jobs increased by 1,500 in March. Job gains were most significant in the construction industry, adding 1,200 jobs and helping to offset the prior month’s job losses. Retail trade, and arts, entrainment, and recreation also posted significant job gains in March.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis in March. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index rose 2.4% with core inflation rising 2.8%. The index for all items minus food and energy, or core inflation, rose 0.1 percent in March.
###
** Unemployment figures are seasonally-adjusted. Seasonally-adjusted numbers remove the effects of events that follow a 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.
The next Labor Market Information report, including data from April 2025, will be released on Wednesday, May 21 st.
**** 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 3.0%.
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
Employment
|
|||
|
Rank
|
County
|
Current Unemployment Rate
|
Change over Year
|
Current Employment
|
Job Change from Last Year
|
|
1
|
Liberty
|
1.6
|
-0.2
|
919
|
-20
|
|
2
|
Prairie
|
1.7
|
-0.6
|
771
|
-5
|
|
3
|
Carter
|
1.8
|
-0.1
|
706
|
-9
|
|
3
|
Chouteau
|
1.8
|
-0.8
|
2,893
|
48
|
|
3
|
Fallon
|
1.8
|
0.1
|
1,485
|
-129
|
|
6
|
Daniels
|
2.1
|
-0.2
|
730
|
-31
|
|
6
|
Gallatin
|
2.1
|
-0.3
|
75,561
|
-348
|
|
6
|
Treasure
|
2.1
|
-0.2
|
424
|
6
|
|
9
|
Dawson
|
2.3
|
-0.2
|
4,354
|
63
|
|
9
|
Meagher
|
2.3
|
-0.9
|
1,065
|
-28
|
|
9
|
Richland
|
2.3
|
-0.5
|
5,933
|
142
|
|
9
|
Toole
|
2.3
|
-0.1
|
2,166
|
-92
|
|
13
|
Blaine
|
2.4
|
-0.9
|
2,676
|
-50
|
|
13
|
Broadwater
|
2.4
|
-0.5
|
3,881
|
49
|
|
15
|
Teton
|
2.5
|
-0.5
|
2,857
|
-71
|
|
16
|
Hill
|
2.6
|
0
|
6,807
|
-133
|
|
17
|
Beaverhead
|
2.7
|
-0.1
|
4,564
|
-78
|
|
17
|
Garfield
|
2.7
|
-2.2
|
655
|
-28
|
|
17
|
Lewis and Clark
|
2.7
|
-0.4
|
36,540
|
382
|
|
17
|
Pondera
|
2.7
|
-0.9
|
2,510
|
-73
|
|
17
|
Powder River
|
2.7
|
0.5
|
893
|
-8
|
|
22
|
Cascade
|
2.8
|
-0.4
|
38,693
|
-112
|
|
22
|
Jefferson
|
2.8
|
-0.6
|
6,036
|
44
|
|
22
|
Judith Basin
|
2.8
|
-0.1
|
1,030
|
-28
|
|
22
|
Rosebud
|
2.8
|
-0.4
|
3,415
|
-53
|
|
22
|
Sheridan
|
2.8
|
0.2
|
1,717
|
-8
|
|
22
|
Yellowstone
|
2.8
|
-0.1
|
86,015
|
85
|
|
28
|
Custer
|
2.9
|
0
|
6,443
|
-110
|
|
28
|
McCone
|
2.9
|
0.5
|
870
|
-13
|
|
28
|
Valley
|
2.9
|
-0.4
|
3,618
|
-69
|
|
31
|
Missoula
|
3
|
-0.3
|
69,985
|
860
|
|
31
|
Park
|
3
|
-0.8
|
9,618
|
250
|
|
33
|
Carbon
|
3.1
|
0
|
5,586
|
-9
|
|
33
|
Golden Valley
|
3.1
|
-0.6
|
436
|
-5
|
|
33
|
Sweet Grass
|
3.1
|
0.8
|
1,887
|
-73
|
|
36
|
Silver Bow
|
3.3
|
-0.7
|
16,987
|
68
|
|
37
|
Deer Lodge
|
3.4
|
-0.3
|
4,300
|
-21
|
|
38
|
Flathead
|
3.5
|
-0.6
|
58,021
|
716
|
|
38
|
Ravalli
|
3.5
|
-0.2
|
20,166
|
16
|
|
38
|
Wibaux
|
3.5
|
-0.1
|
384
|
-19
|
|
41
|
Fergus
|
3.6
|
-0.2
|
5,738
|
-76
|
|
42
|
Lake
|
3.7
|
-0.7
|
14,073
|
-22
|
|
42
|
Roosevelt
|
3.7
|
-0.8
|
3,535
|
-73
|
|
44
|
Stillwater
|
3.9
|
1.1
|
4,471
|
-9
|
|
45
|
Powell
|
4
|
-0.4
|
2,501
|
5
|
|
46
|
Wheatland
|
4.2
|
-1.2
|
731
|
-5
|
|
47
|
Musselshell
|
4.4
|
0
|
1,916
|
11
|
|
48
|
Phillips
|
4.5
|
-0.2
|
1,985
|
-1
|
|
49
|
Glacier
|
4.6
|
-0.9
|
5,504
|
-117
|
|
50
|
Madison
|
4.8
|
0
|
3,069
|
8
|
|
51
|
Big Horn
|
4.9
|
0.2
|
4,310
|
-173
|
|
52
|
Mineral
|
5.1
|
-1.2
|
2,172
|
7
|
|
53
|
Petroleum
|
5.2
|
0.3
|
257
|
7
|
|
54
|
Granite
|
5.4
|
-1.1
|
1,351
|
8
|
|
55
|
Lincoln
|
6.9
|
-1
|
7,979
|
-37
|
|
55
|
Sanders
|
6.9
|
-1.2
|
4,500
|
-131
|
|
|
Unemployment Rate
|
Employment
|
|||
|
Rank
|
Area
|
Current Unemployment Rate
|
Change over Year
|
Current Employment
|
Job Change from Last Year
|
|
1
|
Flathead
|
4.7
|
-0.8
|
13,483
|
-36
|
|
2
|
Fort Peck
|
5.3
|
-1.1
|
2,998
|
-60
|
|
3
|
Blackfeet
|
6.1
|
-1.2
|
4,052
|
-88
|
|
4
|
Northern Cheyenne
|
6.6
|
-0.4
|
1,307
|
-32
|
|
5
|
Rocky Boy's
|
7
|
-0.2
|
950
|
-5
|
|
6
|
Crow
|
8.1
|
0.1
|
2,060
|
-75
|
|
7
|
Fort Belknap
|
13.1
|
-2.1
|
848
|
-14
|
