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. 

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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 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

 

 

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