Jobless number increases in Flathead County

The unemployment rate for the month of November increased to 5.4 percent in Flathead County, up from 4.5 percent in October.

The county has a workforce of 42,943 people.

Surrounding counties also saw their jobless numbers bump up last month. Lincoln County jumped from 6.2 to 8 percent unemployment; Sanders County went from 6.1 to 7.2 percent, and Lake County rose from 3.8 to 4.3 percent, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

Montana’s unemployment rate statewide was 4 percent for November, maintaining the same relative level for most of 2017. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent.

“Montana workers and families are heading into the holidays with a strong economy driving growth in local communities across the state,” Gov. Steve Bullock said in a press release. “Our wage growth continues to outpace inflation and businesses are hiring for good-paying jobs, making job opportunities plentiful.”

Payroll job levels remained fairly steady over the month, adding a few hundred jobs in the private sector offset by continued small losses in government jobs. Over the last three months, Montana has added about 1,400 payroll jobs. Total employment, which includes payroll jobs plus the self-employed and agricultural workers, remained fairly level over the month on a seasonally adjusted basis. Based on the data posted so far, Montana is expected to finish 2017 with employment growth of 0.8 percent, and wage growth nearly double last year’s pace.