Montana’s Unemployment Rate Hits All-Time Low

Montana’s unemployment rate 4th lowest in the nation

Governor's Office
  • March 16 2023
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HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate declined to 2.5% in January, matching the record low set in the governor’s second year in office, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

Montana’s unemployment rate in January is the fourth lowest in the nation.

“Hardworking Montanans continue to drive our state’s growing economy, despite severe national headwinds. Montanans are setting new records for job creation, business creation, and employment,” Gov. Gianforte said. “With them in mind, we’ll keep building on our pro-business, pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda so more Montanans can thrive, prosper, and achieve the American dream.”

Montana’s unemployment rate has only dipped below 3% in 18 months since recordkeeping began in 1976. Fifteen of those 18 months have taken place during Gov. Gianforte’s tenure.

Since Gov. Gianforte took office in 2021, Montanans have created nearly 33,000 jobs.

In the two years since Gov. Gianforte took office, January 2021-January 2023, Montana’s labor force grew by 4.69%, or 25,268 people. In contrast, the state’s labor force grew by 2.63% in the two-year period before the pandemic, March 2018-March 2020.

Between January 2021 and January 2023, total employment in Montana grew by 6.26%, or 32,760 workers. In comparison, the state’s total employment grew by 3.02% between March 2018 and March 2020.

Total employment in Montana rose by 1,444 jobs in January, to a new record high of 555,920 jobs. Montana added 1,500 payroll jobs in January, with the construction industry leading in job gains.

Montana’s labor force also continued its strong growth in January, rising by 767 workers to 570,316, another all-time high.

On Tuesday, BLS reported the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in February rose 0.4% over-the-month. In the last 12 months, inflation has grown by 6.0%.

According to BLS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor, over the past 12 months,

  • Grocery prices are up nationally 10.2%
    • Eggs, up 55.4%
    • Poultry, up 9.5%
    • Milk, up 8.1%
    • Coffee, up 11.4%
    • Fruits and vegetables, up 5.3%
    • Baby food and formula, up 9.8%
  • Rent prices are up 8.2%
  • Electricity prices are up 12.9%
  • Fuel oil prices are up 9.2%
  • Airfare prices are up 26.5%
  • Motor vehicle insurance prices are up 14.5%
  • Motor vehicle maintenance and repair prices are up 12.5%
  • Tools, hardware, and outdoor equipment and supplies prices are up 11.8%

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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 Research and Analysis Bureau at 406-444-4100.

 

The next Labor Market Information report, including data from February 2023, will be released on Friday, March 24. 

**** 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 

Fallon 

1.6 

-0.6 

1643 

64 

Daniels 

1.7 

-0.3 

880 

Toole 

1.7 

-0.7 

2084 

97 

Wibaux 

1.8 

-1.6 

434 

41 

Gallatin 

1.9 

-0.3 

76300 

3483 

Liberty 

-0.6 

1004 

25 

McCone 

-0.1 

991 

23 

Carter 

2.1 

-0.2 

698 

48 

Madison 

2.1 

-0.6 

5970 

799 

Richland 

2.1 

-0.8 

5819 

40 

11 

Dawson 

2.2 

-0.6 

4455 

63 

11 

Hill 

2.2 

-0.6 

7305 

27 

11 

Sheridan 

2.2 

-0.6 

1747 

24 

14 

Beaverhead 

2.3 

-0.9 

5474 

471 

15 

Meagher 

2.4 

-0.4 

1067 

29 

15 

Stillwater 

2.4 

-0.4 

5278 

-103 

17 

Sweet Grass 

2.5 

1879 

17 

Treasure 

2.5 

0.2 

357 

17 

17 

Yellowstone 

2.5 

-0.5 

83231 

500 

20 

Chouteau 

2.6 

0.2 

2483 

81 

20 

Lewis and Clark 

2.6 

-0.4 

37970 

1828 

20 

Pondera 

2.6 

-0.5 

2592 

31 

23 

Carbon 

2.7 

-0.7 

5594 

43 

23 

Judith Basin 

2.7 

-0.2 

1003 

46 

25 

Jefferson 

2.8 

-0.4 

6003 

276 

25 

Cascade 

2.8 

-0.4 

38447 

1566 

27 

Deer Lodge 

2.9 

-0.6 

5292 

401 

27 

Golden Valley 

2.9 

-1.1 

367 

29 

Musselshell 

-1.4 

2293 

13 

29 

Powder River 

0.2 

1005 

36 

29 

Valley 

-0.6 

3848 

-35 

29 

Missoula 

-0.6 

65413 

1868 

33 

Custer 

3.2 

-0.2 

6199 

178 

33 

Park 

3.2 

-0.5 

9581 

928 

33 

Petroleum 

3.2 

270 

-1 

36 

Rosebud 

3.3 

-0.7 

3415 

74 

36 

Teton 

3.3 

0.1 

2757 

36 

Silver Bow 

3.3 

-0.5 

17114 

313 

39 

Powell 

3.5 

0.7 

2748 

-89 

39 

Ravalli 

3.5 

-0.5 

21200 

752 

41 

Blaine 

3.7 

-0.2 

2163 

-5 

41 

Fergus 

3.7 

-0.5 

5647 

43 

41 

Roosevelt 

3.7 

-0.5 

4237 

111 

44 

Lake 

3.8 

-0.2 

13849 

343 

44 

Flathead 

3.8 

-0.5 

50346 

1384 

46 

Garfield 

4.1 

0.8 

747 

10 

46 

Prairie 

4.1 

-0.2 

492 

46 

Wheatland 

4.1 

-1 

744 

21 

49 

Broadwater 

4.3 

-0.2 

2744 

180 

50 

Big Horn 

4.4 

-2.7 

4435 

215 

51 

Phillips 

0.6 

1767 

52 

Granite 

5.1 

-0.8 

1617 

53 

Glacier 

5.5 

-1.4 

5397 

296 

54 

Mineral 

5.6 

-1.7 

1713 

-14 

55 

Lincoln 

-1.2 

8206 

710 

55 

Sanders 

-0.2 

5125 

230 

 

****** 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 

Flathead 

4.1 

-0.1 

13581 

357 

Fort Peck 

4.8 

-0.6 

3806 

86 

Crow 

6.6 

-3.9 

2284 

100 

Blackfeet 

7.7 

-1.8 

3808 

198 

Rocky Boy's 

7.8 

-0.9 

1066 

13 

Northern Cheyenne 

8.1 

-2.3 

1208 

37 

Fort Belknap 

9.2 

711 

-2 

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