Jobless rate drops to 5.1 percent

The unemployment rate for Flathead County continued to improve during August, decreasing from 5.3 to 5.1 percent.

August marked the fourth straight month the county’s jobless rate was below 6 percent.

Flathead County had a labor force of 47,162 people, with 2,398 unemployed workers.

Lincoln County’s unemployment rate dropped below double digits for the first time in several years, posting at 9.9 percent in August, down from 10.5 percent in July.

Sanders County’s August rate remained at 9.9 percent for a third consecutive month.

Lake County’s unemployment rate improved from 6.4 percent in July to 6.1 percent last month.

Montana’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in August, a slight increase of one-tenth of one percent from July. The unemployment rate has decreased by 0.6 percentage points since January.

During that time more than 12,000 jobs have been created in the state, according to the state Department of Labor and Industry.

The state unemployment rate has been between 4.5 percent and 4.7 percent since May. In August, the national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.