County unemployment rate drops to 9.8 percent

Flathead County’s unemployment rate dipped to 9.8 percent in September, the first time it’s been below 10 percent in a year, according to numbers released by the state Department of Labor and Industry’s Research and Analysis Bureau.

The  9.8 percent rate compares to 10.2 percent in August. In October 2009, the county’s jobless rate was 9.3 percent, the last time it was below 10 percent. In September 2009 the county’s rate was 8.8 percent.

“The single-digit number looks good,” said Bill Nelson, manager of the Flathead Job Service. “We’re happy about it.”

The 9.8 percent translates into 4,382 unemployed workers from the county’s labor force of 44,660.

Registering a lower unemployment rate in the fall than in the summer is a positive trend, Nelson said, because usually unemployment increases slightly in the fall compared to the summer when new jobs are created in such industries as tourism and construction.

The number of job orders in the Job Service office — listings from companies who are looking to hire workers — stood at 162 on Friday, about the same it has been for a few months, Nelson said. But that number is still a couple of hundred below the number of job openings a couple of years ago, he said.

“We want to be cautiously optimistic about what the numbers mean,” Nelson said. “But any little boost we will celebrate.”

Nelson said he wouldn’t be surprised if unemployment rates increase during the winter months, a normal trend, but he’s hopeful there will be “gradual improvement” in the spring and summer levels.

Flathead still ranks high among Montana counties for unemployment, posting the fourth highest percent. The highest rate of unemployment was registered in Sanders County, 13.4 percent. Others in the top five for high unemployment are Lincoln at 13.1 percent, Big Horn at 10.7 percent and Mineral at 9.7 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Fallon County, 2.8 percent. Other counties with low rates are McCone at 3.3 percent, Wibaux at 3.6 percent, Richland at 3.7 percent, Sweet Grass at 3.8 percent and Powder River at 3.9 percent.

The state’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate stood at 6.5 percent in September and the seasonally adjusted statewide rate last month was 7.4 percent, unchanged from August, indicating very little job growth in Montana for the month, according to Keith Kelly, Montana labor commissioner.

“Montana’s labor statistics for September tell a very similar story to the U.S. as a whole,” Kelly said. “The private sector posted tepid growth while government employment fell, resulting in very little change in total employment and an unchanged unemployment rate.”

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