Montana’s Unemployment Rate Remains Near Record Lows

• June 24 2025

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana’s unemployment rate remained near record lows in May, ranking in the top five states in the nation with the lowest unemployment rates.

Montana’s unemployment rate was 2.8 percent in May, continuing the historic 47 consecutive months of unemployment at or below 3.4 percent and 8 consecutive months below 3 percent.

“Our historic stretch of low unemployment continued in May, as we close in on four years of unemployment at or below 3.4%,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Our commitment to supporting job creators, our growing wages, and business-friendly environment continues to support the success of hardworking Montanans.”

Montana’s unemployment rate was 1.4 percent lower than the national unemployment rate, which was 4.2 percent in May.

Total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers) decreased slightly in May. Payroll jobs grew by 2,000 over the month, with growth in the construction industry.

The month of May marked the third consecutive month where the number of unemployed Montanans remained below 16,000 – near the record low of just under 14,000 which was reached in 2023. 

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in May. The index for shelter rose 0.3 percent in May, the primary factor for the monthly all items increase. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index rose 2.4% with core inflation rising 2.8%. The index for all items minus food and energy, or core inflation, rose 0.1 percent in May.

###

** 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.

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.

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 2.7%.   

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 2.7%. Reservation areas overlap with county areas, meaning that unemployed individuals living on a reservation will be included in both the reservation and county totals.  

###