Governor Bullock Announces Montana’s Unemployment Rate Remains Steady at 3.5% in February

Former Governors
  • March 27 2020

Governor Bullock today announced Montana’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5 percent in February, with about 800 jobs added over the month. The U.S. unemployment rate was also 3.5 percent in February.

 

“These numbers reflect prior to COVID-19 reaching Montana, and we know much has changed in the last month,” said Governor Bullock. “Our long-term growth is best helped by guaranteeing the health and safety of our workers and their families during this crisis. To rebuild our economic strength, we must do everything we can to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in Montana.”

 

Total employment, which includes agricultural, payroll, and self-employed workers, grew by 798 jobs in February with similar growth in the labor force of 803 workers. Payroll employment was level after making strong gains of 2,700 over the last three months.

 

Unemployment claims have increased in the last several weeks due to public health and safety measures. These impacts will be evident in next month’s employment data. A website to track current claims and employment data is available at lmi.mt.gov/home/job-tracking [nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com]. In addition, a resource guide for Montana employers and employees impacted by COVID-19 is available at dli.mt.gov/employer-covid-19 [nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1% in February, with a decline in the energy index. The index for all items less food and energy, also called core inflation, rose by 0.2%. Core inflation rose 2.3% over the last twelve months.

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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 February released on Friday, April 17.

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

Visit our website at www.lmi.mt.gov [nam05.safelinks.protection.outlook.com] 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 4.2%. 

 

 

Unemployment Rate

Employment

Rank

County

Current Unemployment Rate

Change over Year

Current Employment

Job Change from Last Year

1

 

Fallon

 

2.0

 

-0.2

 

1,655

 

65

 

2

 

McCone

 

2.1

 

0.5

 

931

 

8

 

3

 

Carter

 

2.4

 

-1.1

 

613

 

-1

 
 

3

 

Treasure

 

2.4

 

-1.1

 

327

 

0

 
 

5

 

Gallatin

 

2.5

 

0.0

 

67,843

 

3,167

 
 

6

 

Sheridan

 

2.7

 

0.2

 

1,680

 

28

 
 

7

 

Liberty

 

2.9

 

0.1

 

925

 

17

 
 

7

 

Sweet Grass

 

2.9

 

-0.5

 

1,750

 

96

 
 

7

 

Wibaux

 

2.9

 

0.1

 

438

 

28

 
 

10

 

Daniels

 

3.0

 

0.7

 

869

 

53

 
 

10

 

Dawson

 

3.0

 

0.3

 

4,433

 

-124

 
 

10

 

Garfield

 

3.0

 

-0.1

 

708

 

21

 
 

10

 

Powder River

 

3.0

 

-0.5

 

927

 

43

 
 

10

 

Richland

 

3.0

 

0.3

 

5,724

 

87

 
 

15

 

Chouteau

 

3.3

 

-0.1

 

2,369

 

26

 
 

15

 

Toole

 

3.3

 

0.8

 

2,023

 

16

 
 

17

 

Beaverhead

 

3.4

 

-0.1

 

4,854

 

105

 
 

17

 

Pondera

 

3.4

 

-1.7

 

2,551

 

10

 
 

17

 

Stillwater

 

3.4

 

-1.0

 

5,150

 

383

 
 

20

 

Hill

 

3.6

 

-0.7

 

7,356

 

133

 
 

20

 

Lewis and Clark

 

3.6

 

-0.1

 

34,557

 

459

 
 

22

 

Madison

 

3.7

 

-0.7

 

5,351

 

617

 
 

22

 

Valley

 

3.7

 

-0.1

 

3,871

 

91

 
 

22

 

Yellowstone

 

3.7

 

-0.2

 

78,642

 

498

 
 

25

 

Cascade

 

3.8

 

-0.5

 

36,644

 

-51

 
 

25

 

Deer Lodge

 

3.8

 

-0.3

 

4,807

 

10

 
 

25

 

Meagher

 

3.8

 

-0.8

 

970

 

22

 
 

28

 

Jefferson

 

4.0

 

-0.4

 

5,481

 

108

 
 

28

 

Missoula

 

4.0

 

0.0

 

61,912

 

570

 
 

30

 

Custer

 

4.1

 

0.3

 

5,875

 

145

 
 

31

 

Blaine

 

4.2

 

-0.7

 

2,425

 

300

 
 

31

 

Powell

 

4.2

 

-0.6

 

2,797

 

135

 
 

31

 

Teton

 

4.2

 

-0.1

 

2,628

 

73

 
 

34

 

Judith Basin

 

4.3

 

-1.3

 

943

 

76

 
 

35

 

Park

 

4.5

 

0.1

 

8,307

 

139

 
 

35

 

Silver Bow

 

4.5

 

-0.1

 

16,390

 

104

 
 

37

 

Carbon

 

4.6

 

-0.1

 

5,259

 

40

 
 

37

 

Fergus

 

4.6

 

-0.3

 

5,797

 

360

 
 

37

 

Phillips

 

4.6

 

-0.6

 

1,790

 

4

 
 

40

 

Wheatland

 

4.8

 

-0.5

 

747

 

47

 
 

41

 

Golden Valley

 

4.9

 

-1.1

 

350

 

7

 
 

41

 

Petroleum

 

4.9

 

0.1

 

269

 

9

 
 

41

 

Roosevelt

 

4.9

 

-0.1

 

4,271

 

85

 
 

41

 

Rosebud

 

4.9

 

-1.0

 

3,581

 

23

 
 

45

 

Broadwater

 

5.0

 

0.5

 

2,465

 

-18

 
 

45

 

Prairie

 

5.0

 

1.0

 

460

 

5

 
 

45

 

Ravalli

 

5.0

 

-0.7

 

19,326

 

604

 
 

48

 

Lake

 

5.5

 

0.1

 

12,531

 

184

 
 

49

 

Musselshell

 

5.6

 

0.5

 

2,165

 

106

 
 

50

 

Flathead

 

6.2

 

0.0

 

44,820

 

457

 
 

51

 

Granite

 

6.9

 

-1.4

 

1,610

 

-17

 
 

52

 

Big Horn

 

7.4

 

-1.8

 

4,311

 

-39

 
 

53

 

Sanders

 

7.9

 

-0.8

 

4,436

 

130

 
 

54

 

Glacier

 

8.2

 

-1.6

 

4,973

 

57

 
 

55

 

Lincoln

 

9.7

 

0.2

 

7,263

 

74

 
 

56

 

Mineral

 

10.2

 

1.6

 

1,590

 

22

 
 
 

 

 

****** 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 4.2%. 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

5.8%

 

0.2%

 

12,273

 

306

 

2

Fort Peck 

6.3%

 

0.3%

 

3,832

 

15

 

3

Fort Belknap

9.6%

 

-0.3%

 

795

 

27

 
 

4

Crow

11.1%

 

-1.9%

 

2,207

 

-53

 
 

5

Blackfeet 

11.3%

 

-1.8%

 

3,524

 

35

 
 

6

Rocky Boy's

11.3%

 

-0.8%

 

1,057

 

16

 
 

7

Northern Cheyenne 

12.2%

 

-1.6%

 

1,234

 

1

 
 
 

 

 

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