Montana’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.3%

• July 21 2026

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate decreased slightly to 3.3 percent in June. Montana’s unemployment rate was lower than the national unemployment rate, which also declined over the month to 4.2 percent.  

“Montana continues to rank in the top states with the lowest unemployment rates as business create more good-paying jobs and Montanans have more pathways to pursue a meaningful career,” Gov. Gianforte said. “As our labor force grows, we will continue to support the best environment for business to keep our strong momentum.” 

Montana's labor force, total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self‑employed workers) and unemployment all declined over the month. The decline in unemployment was larger than the decline in employment. As a result, the unemployment rate ticked down slightly. The number of unemployed fell by 450 in June and total employment declined by 300 jobs. Payroll jobs declined by 1,100 jobs in June, with the largest declines in transportation, warehousing, and utilities. 

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in June. This decline in the all-items index was the largest one-month decrease since April 2020 when it fell 0.8 percent. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 3.5 percent before seasonal adjustment. The energy index was the largest contributor to the monthly all items decrease, more than offsetting increases in other indexes including those for shelter and food. Core inflation, or the index for all items less food and energy, rose 2.6 percent over the last twelve months. 

“Montana’s unemployment rate has eased down slightly, signaling that more Montanans are securing jobs. This reflects ongoing hiring activity across key industries and the strengthening of Montana’s workforce,” said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. “Through the Governor’s 406 JOBS initiative, the Department of Labor and Industry and its partners are helping more Montanans explore career pathways and connect to the training and support they need to move into good‑paying, future‑focused jobs.” 

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** 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 July 2026, will be released on Friday, August 21. 

**** 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 3.3%.  

****** 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 3.3%. 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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