Governor Steve Bullock today announced that Montana’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 3.6% in the month of April.
“As our unemployment rate remains low, employers are looking for workers close to home with the training and skills to help their businesses grow,” said Governor Bullock. “That’s why here in Montana we continue to invest in our workforce and educational pathways to career growth so that all workers can take advantage of our state’s economic opportunities.”
The national unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to also sit at 3.6%.
Total employment estimates indicate a gain of 232 jobs. Payroll employment posted no significant change as job gains in the professional and business services and construction industries were offset by declines in the retail trade and seasonal recreation industries. Continuing a pattern that tight labor markets are constraining job growth, Montana’s labor force contracted by about 200 workers over the month.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3% in April, largely due to continuing increases in gasoline prices. The index for all items less food and energy, also called core inflation, increased 0.1% in April.
###
** 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 May 2019 will be released on Friday, June 21, 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%.
|
Unemployment Rate
|
Employment
|
Rank
|
County
|
Current Unemployment Rate
|
Change over Year
|
Current Employment
|
Job Change from Last Year
|
1
|
Daniels County
|
1.4
|
-0.5
|
843
|
5
|
2
|
McCone County
|
1.5
|
-0.2
|
943
|
3
|
3
|
Fallon County
|
1.6
|
0.0
|
1,620
|
-11
|
3
|
Powder River County
|
1.6
|
-1.7
|
908
|
-2
|
5
|
Garfield County
|
1.8
|
-0.4
|
710
|
3
|
5
|
Sheridan County
|
1.8
|
0.1
|
1,668
|
-56
|
7
|
Toole County
|
1.9
|
-1.1
|
2,024
|
-7
|
8
|
Gallatin County
|
2.0
|
-0.4
|
64,938
|
1,650
|
8
|
Liberty County
|
2.0
|
-0.2
|
955
|
35
|
10
|
Dawson County
|
2.1
|
-0.7
|
4,532
|
-24
|
11
|
Chouteau County
|
2.3
|
-0.8
|
2,414
|
63
|
12
|
Judith Basin County
|
2.5
|
-0.5
|
897
|
43
|
13
|
Custer County
|
2.6
|
-0.6
|
5,749
|
-70
|
13
|
Lewis and Clark County
|
2.6
|
-0.4
|
34,251
|
266
|
13
|
Madison County
|
2.6
|
-0.4
|
4,585
|
63
|
13
|
Richland County
|
2.6
|
-0.8
|
5,549
|
-29
|
17
|
Carter County
|
2.7
|
-0.4
|
639
|
17
|
17
|
Wibaux County
|
2.7
|
-1.0
|
425
|
-14
|
19
|
Beaverhead County
|
2.8
|
-0.3
|
4,799
|
14
|
19
|
Sweet Grass County
|
2.8
|
-0.2
|
1,678
|
4
|
19
|
Valley County
|
2.8
|
-0.3
|
3,871
|
-86
|
19
|
Wheatland County
|
2.8
|
-1.6
|
740
|
9
|
19
|
Yellowstone County
|
2.8
|
-0.2
|
79,353
|
-328
|
24
|
Cascade County
|
2.9
|
-0.4
|
37,108
|
471
|
24
|
Fergus County
|
2.9
|
-1.0
|
5,595
|
90
|
24
|
Missoula County
|
2.9
|
-0.2
|
62,338
|
1,011
|
24
|
Petroleum County
|
2.9
|
-1.3
|
269
|
-2
|
24
|
Stillwater County
|
2.9
|
-0.7
|
4,841
|
119
|
24
|
Treasure County
|
2.9
|
-0.1
|
338
|
20
|
30
|
Jefferson County
|
3.0
|
-0.8
|
5,411
|
54
|
30
|
Teton County
|
3.0
|
-0.1
|
2,630
|
56
|
32
|
Carbon County
|
3.1
|
-0.5
|
5,330
|
-3
|
32
|
Deer Lodge County
|
3.1
|
-0.2
|
4,908
|
-65
|
32
|
Meagher County
|
3.1
|
-1.1
|
927
|
60
|
35
|
Hill County
|
3.3
|
-0.2
|
7,152
|
-112
|
35
|
Park County
|
3.3
|
-1.0
|
8,378
|
256
|
37
|
Broadwater County
|
3.4
|
-0.3
|
2,526
|
31
|
38
|
Blaine County
|
3.5
|
-0.9
|
2,184
|
-24
|
38
|
Golden Valley County
|
3.5
|
-0.3
|
354
|
3
|
38
|
Pondera County
|
3.5
|
0.0
|
2,620
|
25
|
38
|
Silver Bow County
|
3.5
|
-0.3
|
16,551
|
46
|
42
|
Prairie County
|
3.6
|
0.0
|
459
|
1
|
43
|
Musselshell County
|
3.7
|
-0.8
|
2,095
|
-103
|
43
|
Phillips County
|
3.7
|
-1.6
|
1,837
|
64
|
45
|
Ravalli County
|
3.8
|
0.0
|
19,176
|
67
|
46
|
Lake County
|
3.9
|
-0.1
|
12,569
|
86
|
47
|
Powell County
|
4.0
|
-0.3
|
2,703
|
25
|
48
|
Rosebud County
|
4.5
|
-0.8
|
3,651
|
-7
|
49
|
Roosevelt County
|
4.6
|
-0.2
|
4,163
|
-38
|
50
|
Flathead County
|
4.7
|
-0.4
|
45,065
|
560
|
51
|
Mineral County
|
5.4
|
-2.3
|
1,636
|
99
|
52
|
Granite County
|
6.0
|
-0.1
|
1,604
|
73
|
53
|
Sanders County
|
6.1
|
-0.6
|
4,463
|
93
|
54
|
Glacier County
|
7.2
|
-0.7
|
5,050
|
-11
|
55
|
Lincoln County
|
7.3
|
-1.3
|
7,405
|
135
|
56
|
Big Horn County
|
7.6
|
-1.7
|
4,300
|
-357
|
****** 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
|
4.1
|
-0.2
|
12,316
|
99
|
2
|
Fort Peck
|
5.7
|
-0.3
|
3,746
|
-41
|
3
|
Fort Belknap
|
8.3
|
-2.3
|
720
|
-7
|
4
|
Rocky Boy's
|
9.7
|
-1.1
|
1,041
|
-3
|
5
|
Blackfeet
|
10
|
-0.8
|
3,581
|
-5
|
6
|
Crow Reservation
|
11.3
|
-2.5
|
2,200
|
-165
|
7
|
Northern Cheyenne
|
11.5
|
-2
|
1,249
|
-36
|
###