Montana Reaches 20th Consecutive Month of Unemployment Below 3%

Statewide total employment, labor force set records in June

• July 21 2023

HELENA, Mont. – Montana reached its 20th consecutive month of unemployment below 3 percent in June, according to data compiled by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry. Since Governor Greg Gianforte was elected, Montanans have created more than 41,000 new jobs statewide.

“We’re creating an environment where businesses can thrive, create more good-paying jobs, and increase opportunities for all Montanans, and we’re seeing great results,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Wages in Montana grew at the fifth fastest rate in the nation last year, and we have more Montanans working now than ever before.”

Total employment in Montana, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 784 jobs in June to a new record high. The state’s labor force grew by 1,085 workers, after topping a record 575,000 workers in May.

Montana added 1,000 payroll jobs in June, largely driven by gains in the construction and administrative support industries. With labor force growth slightly outpacing total employment growth, the state’s unemployment rate was 2.4% in June.

In June, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.2 percent over-the-month. Shelter was again the largest contributor to the increase, followed by motor vehicle insurance. The 12-month change in the all-items index was 3 percent. The index for all items minus food and energy, also called core inflation, increased by 0.1 percent for the month, the smallest 1-month increase since August 2021. For the year ending in June, core inflation was 4.8 percent.

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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 Data and Operations Bureau at 406-444-4100.

The next Labor Market Information report, including data from July 2023, will be released on Friday, August 18^th.

**** 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 2.7%. 

****** 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 2.7%. Reservation areas overlap with county areas, meaning that unemployed individuals living on a reservation will be included in both the reservation and county totals.

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