Jobless rate jumps to 9.3 percent

The unemployment rate for Flathead County jumped to 9.3 percent for October, up from 8.8 percent a month earlier.

That marks the second straight monthly increase for the local jobless rate, according to figures from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

The county’s jobless rate had been steadily declining from its high of 12.7 percent in March before it began heading back up in September and October.

The October figures show that of the county’s work force of 48,494 people, there are 43,975 people with jobs and 4,519 without jobs. That jobless figure, however, is a sharp improvement from the 6,085 unemployed people in March.

Other Northwest Montana counties also had higher unemployment from September to October.

Lincoln County went from 11.1 to 11.3 percent, Lake County from 8.3 to 8.5 percent, Mineral County from 8.6 to 9.1 percent and Sanders County from 11.2 to 11.5 percent.

Northwest Montana continues to feel more severe effects from the recession than other areas in the state, with Sanders and Lincoln counties having the highest unemployment rates in Montana.

Employment numbers for individual counties are not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations in the work force.

Statewide, the Montana unemployment rate dropped to 6.4 percent in October from 6.7 percent in September. Those figures are seasonally adjusted.

The national average was 10.2 percent in October.

“The decrease in this month’s unemployment rate is encouraging news, but it doesn’t tell the whole story,” Montana Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly said in a news release.  

“Montana gained payroll jobs this month, regaining almost all of the losses posted last month and providing further evidence that Montana’s economy has stabilized over the past year,” Kelly said.

“However, we must be cautious of underlying data that reveals some of the decrease was due to unemployed workers becoming discouraged and leaving the labor force, which is not unusual given the length of the national recession.”