Montana’s Unemployment Rate at 3.6%

• April 08 2026

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in January. Montana’s unemployment rate was lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.3 percent in January.

“In Montana, we remain focused on creating an environment where small businesses and manufacturers can thrive and create more good paying jobs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Through 406 JOBS, we’re making sure every Montanan who is able to work has a clear pathway to those good-paying jobs and the opportunity to achieve the American dream.”

Montana’s labor force reached 579,400 in January, adding approximately 3,600 workers over the last twelve months, while total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers) decreased slightly over the month. Payroll jobs were mostly unchanged in January, with gains in construction and healthcare offset by a decline in professional and business services.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in January. Over the last twelve months, the all items index increased 2.4 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for all items minus food and energy, or core inflation, rose 0.3 percent in January.

This month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also released revised labor market estimates to improve the accuracy of the estimates of the unemployment rate and payroll jobs. Newly revised estimates show Montana’s unemployment rate averaged 3.3 percent in 2025 with modest employment declines of 0.3 percent, or approximately 1,430 fewer jobs. The data also shows Montana’s labor force reached a high of 577,850 in 2025, growing 0.1 percent over the year.

Last August, the Montana Department of Labor & Industry released a report showing that more than 100,000 working age Montanans are not employed and not seeking work. Through Gov. Gianforte’s 406 JOBS Initiative, the department is helping Montanans enter or re-enter the workforce with a specific focus on health care, construction, hospitality and recreation, advanced manufacturing and computing, education and child care, and financial and professional services.

More information on 406 JOBS can be viewed here.

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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 February 2026, will be released on Wednesday, April 22.

**** 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 4.5%.

****** 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 4.5%. 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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