Jobless rate down to 10.8 percent

The number of unemployed people in Flathead County dipped slightly in July compared to June, a bit of bright news in the generally bleak employment scenario.

 The county’s July unemployment rate was 10.8 percent, down from 11.4 percent in June, according to figures released Friday by the state Department of Labor and Industry’s Research and Analysis Bureau. County numbers are not seasonally adjusted.

That translates to 4,887 unemployed people in the county. The .6 of a percent drop may be small, but “it’s good news,” according to Bill Nelson, manager of the Flathead Job Service office.

Flathead County’s work force is pegged at 45,271, with 40,384 people employed. The county’s labor force increased slightly from 44,626 in June, Nelson pointed out.

“That’s encouraging,” he said. “More people are seeing possible opportunities out there and are at least looking again. We’re glad to see that.”

Flathead County ranks 52nd of the 56 Montana counties for unemployment, Nelson said. The county moved up a notch in July. Counties with higher unemployment rates are Lincoln with 14.8 percent, Sanders at 13.5 percent, Big Horn with 11.2 percent and Glacier with 10.9 percent. Montana’s unemployment rate stood at 6.8 percent for July.

In Mineral County, the July number was 9.8 percent. Lake County registered a 9.3 percent July unemployment rate, along with the high rates in Lincoln and Sanders.

On the other end of the spectrum are four counties in Eastern Montana with unemployment rates under 3 percent. Lowest is 2.6 percent in McCone County, followed by 2.8 percent in Fallon and Wibaux counties and 2.9 percent in Prairie County.

Flathead County hasn’t seen single-digit unemployment numbers since last October, Nelson said, when it was 9.3 percent. In November it began creeping back up before dropping a bit again each month from April through July, Nelson said.

A year ago, the county’s jobless rate was 9.1 percent.

Nelson attributes the July decrease to typical summer job activity. Every summer some additional jobs are created in the tourism and construction fields, he said.

He has heard plenty of comments from raft companies and government agencies about their summer hiring levels. Unfortunately, Nelson said, some of those jobs disappear in the fall. Historically, unemployment levels increase in the fall and winter, he said.

Nelson wasn’t particularly surprised at the small drop in unemployment recorded last month.

“I wouldn’t have expected a huge decrease,” he said. “It’s pretty much where I expected it to be.”

The economy is still “a little bit flat,” he said. “It’s going to take a shot in the arm to make a dramatic difference.” Nelson is optimistic that Flathead County can hold its own throughout the winter regarding unemployment levels “and maybe see a little improvement” in 2011.

Throughout the United States, the jobless rates dropped in 18 states in July, a smaller number than in recent months. Rates increased in 14 states and stayed the same in 18 other states, including Montana.

Montana’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the country was unchanged at 9.5 percent.

Reporter Shelley Ridenour may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at sridenour@dailyinterlake.com.