State of Montana Newsroom
Montana’s Unemployment Rate at 3%
Remains in the top ten states with lowest unemployment
HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate was at 3 percent in September, marking the twelfth straight month under 3 percent and over four consecutive years of unemployment at or below 3.4 percent, a new record.
Due to the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics delayed the release of monthly unemployment numbers for states. Data for the month of October has been cancelled and data for November is scheduled to be released on January 7.
“Montana remains in the top states with the lowest unemployment as our workforce grows and businesses create more good-paying jobs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Through our new initiative, 406 JOBS, we will continue to unlock pathways to work so all eligible Montanans are able to thrive in a meaningful career.”
Montana’s unemployment rate was 1.4 percent lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.4 percent in September. Montana remained in the top ten states in the nation with the lowest unemployment rates.
Montana’s labor force added approximately 880 workers in September while total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers) increased slightly. Payroll jobs declined slightly over the month, with gains in the healthcare sector offset by declines in the transportation and warehousing sector. Over the first nine months of the year payrolls jobs have added at total of 700 jobs.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in September. The index for gasoline increased 4.1 percent in September and was the largest factor contributing to the all items monthly increase. Over the last twelve months, the all items index increased 3.0 percent before seasonal adjustment. Core inflation, or the index for all items less food and energy, rose 0.2 percent in August for a 12-month increase of 2.8 percent.
In August, Gov. Gianforte and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry launched 406 JOBS as the unifying framework for the state workforce system. 406 JOBS stands for Four Pathways to Employment, Zero Barriers to Work, and Six High Demand Sectors. Those sectors include health care, construction, hospitality and recreation, advanced manufacturing and computing, education and child care, and financial and professional services. 406 JOBS is designed to ensure that every Montanan has a plan for a career and a pathway to achieve it.
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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 November 2025, will be released on Wednesday, January 7.
**** 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%.
|
|
Unemployment Rate |
Employment |
|||
|
Rank |
County |
Current Unemployment Rate |
Change over Year |
Current Employment |
Job Change from Last Year |
|
1 |
Prairie |
1.7 |
0.1 |
741 |
-3 |
|
2 |
Powder River |
1.8 |
-0.2 |
970 |
60 |
|
3 |
Carter |
2.2 |
0.2 |
665 |
-14 |
|
4 |
Daniels |
2.3 |
0.6 |
707 |
-34 |
|
4 |
Fallon |
2.3 |
0.9 |
1417 |
-178 |
|
4 |
Garfield |
2.3 |
0.4 |
624 |
-12 |
|
4 |
Liberty |
2.3 |
0.3 |
883 |
-5 |
|
4 |
Park |
2.3 |
0.3 |
10868 |
224 |
|
4 |
Richland |
2.3 |
0.2 |
5745 |
-187 |
|
10 |
Custer |
2.4 |
0.6 |
6519 |
-203 |
|
10 |
Gallatin |
2.4 |
0.5 |
73707 |
-3536 |
|
12 |
Beaverhead |
2.5 |
0.2 |
4755 |
71 |
|
12 |
Toole |
2.5 |
0 |
2212 |
28 |
|
14 |
Broadwater |
2.6 |
0.5 |
3872 |
-8 |
|
14 |
Chouteau |
2.6 |
0.4 |
2706 |
-22 |
|
14 |
Fergus |
2.6 |
0.4 |
5881 |
86 |
|
14 |
Golden Valley |
2.6 |
-0.5 |
411 |
9 |
|
14 |
Phillips |
2.6 |
0.3 |
2095 |
169 |
|
14 |
Teton |
2.6 |
0.5 |
2846 |
-37 |
|
20 |
Dawson |
2.7 |
0.4 |
4300 |
13 |
|
20 |
McCone |
2.7 |
0.6 |
828 |
-2 |
|
20 |
Meagher |
2.7 |
0.8 |
993 |
-28 |
|
23 |
Carbon |
2.8 |
0.6 |
5532 |
-36 |
|
23 |
Jefferson |
2.8 |
0.5 |
6017 |
-40 |
|
23 |
Missoula |
2.8 |
0.5 |
69597 |
-878 |
|
23 |
Sheridan |
2.8 |
0.8 |
1679 |
-22 |
|
23 |
Valley |
2.8 |
0.9 |
3612 |
-36 |
|
23 |
Flathead |
2.8 |
0.4 |
60413 |
800 |
|
29 |
Blaine |
2.9 |
0.7 |
2698 |
57 |
|
29 |
Judith Basin |
2.9 |
0.3 |
950 |
-64 |
|
29 |
Lewis and Clark |
2.9 |
0.6 |
36587 |
-136 |
|
29 |
Sweet Grass |
2.9 |
1.2 |
1764 |
-208 |
|
33 |
Hill |
3 |
0.6 |
7011 |
159 |
|
33 |
Stillwater |
3 |
0.8 |
4436 |
-29 |
|
33 |
Yellowstone |
3 |
0.6 |
86477 |
-254 |
|
36 |
Treasure |
3.1 |
1.3 |
372 |
-20 |
|
36 |
Wibaux |
3.1 |
0.1 |
404 |
10 |
|
36 |
Cascade |
3.1 |
0.6 |
38065 |
-520 |
|
39 |
Deer Lodge |
3.3 |
0.5 |
4412 |
104 |
|
39 |
Powell |
3.3 |
0.2 |
2595 |
40 |
|
39 |
Rosebud |
3.3 |
0.6 |
3532 |
-9 |
|
39 |
Silver Bow |
3.3 |
0.6 |
17431 |
315 |
|
43 |
Pondera |
3.4 |
0.7 |
2361 |
-92 |
|
43 |
Ravalli |
3.4 |
0.7 |
20435 |
-23 |
|
45 |
Lake |
3.5 |
0.7 |
14676 |
265 |
|
46 |
Petroleum |
3.7 |
0.8 |
237 |
3 |
|
47 |
Mineral |
3.8 |
0.1 |
2151 |
-42 |
|
48 |
Roosevelt |
3.9 |
0.9 |
3656 |
136 |
|
48 |
Wheatland |
3.9 |
0.9 |
709 |
-35 |
|
50 |
Glacier |
4 |
1 |
6207 |
-35 |
|
50 |
Granite |
4 |
0.7 |
1347 |
13 |
|
52 |
Musselshell |
4.1 |
0.5 |
1895 |
-30 |
|
53 |
Sanders |
4.5 |
0.4 |
4853 |
156 |
|
54 |
Lincoln |
4.6 |
0.6 |
8301 |
99 |
|
55 |
Madison |
5.2 |
1.8 |
2684 |
-368 |
|
56 |
Big Horn |
5.3 |
1.9 |
4358 |
-108 |
****** 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.
|
|
Unemployment Rate |
Employment |
|||
|
Rank |
Area |
Current Unemployment Rate |
Change over Year |
Current Employment |
Job Change from Last Year |
|
1 |
Flathead |
4.1 |
0.7 |
14067 |
252 |
|
2 |
Blackfeet |
5.4 |
1.2 |
4517 |
-34 |
|
3 |
Fort Peck |
5.5 |
1.4 |
3084 |
95 |
|
4 |
Northern Cheyenne |
7.5 |
1.7 |
1341 |
-14 |
|
5 |
Rocky Boy's |
8.4 |
1.8 |
943 |
10 |
|
6 |
Crow |
8.8 |
3 |
2082 |
-48 |
|
7 |
Fort Belknap |
11.6 |
2.4 |
857 |
21 |
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