Jobless rate up another notch

The unemployment rate in Flathead County jumped a full percentage point in a month, reaching 11.8 percent in November, up from 10.8 percent in October.

It was the second straight monthly increase. In September, the rate was 9.8 percent.

Flathead County has registered double-digit unemployment for all but one month of 2010. 

Flathead remains No. 5 among Montana counties with the highest levels of unemployment. Lincoln County registered the highest percentage in the state, 16.1. Sanders County has a rate of 15.3 percent, followed by Mineral County at 12 percent and Glacier County at 11.9 percent.

On the low end, Fallon County has an unemployment rate of 2.5 percent, followed by McCone County at 3 percent, Wibaux County at 3.2 percent, Richland County at 3.3 percent and Carter County at 3.4 percent.

County unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

The statewide unadjusted rate is 7.1 percent and the seasonally adjusted rate for Montana is 7.2 percent, which ranks it as the state with the 12th lowest unemployment rate in the nation. North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate at 3.8 percent.

Nevada’s 14.3 percent rate is the highest in the country.

In Flathead County, the 11.8 percent translates to 5,022 unemployed people out of the county’s active work force of 42,572. The local work force continues to shrink as people stop looking for work because of the limited number of available jobs or move because of their inability to find jobs.

A year ago, Flathead County’s work force stood at 47,742. In the last month, 713 more people in Flathead County dropped out of the work force.

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