Montana’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.5%

• May 22 2026

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5 percent in April. Montana’s unemployment rate was lower than the national unemployment rate, which remained unchanged over the month at 4.3 percent.  

“As businesses grow and expand in Montana, we want to ensure our workforce is able to meet their employment needs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Through 406 JOBS, we’re reducing barriers to employment to continue our progress on increasing labor participation.” 

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 690 in April and total employment declined by 579 jobs. Payroll jobs rose by 800 in April, with the largest gains in construction and healthcare. 

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in April. Over the last twelve months, the all items index increased 3.8 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for energy rose 3.8 percent in April, accounting for over forty percent of the monthly all items increase. Core inflation, or the index for all items less food and energy, rose 2.8 percent over the last twelve months.  

“These trends signal ongoing opportunities for Montana workers and job seekers across key industries, like construction and healthcare,” said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. “Montana's workforce development initiatives continue to support growth in these essential sectors." 

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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 May 2026, will be released on Tuesday, June 23. 

**** 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 3.0%.  

****** 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 3.0%. 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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