Montana jobless rate hits another record low

Montana’s unemployment rate hit a new record low in December, dropping 0.3 percentage points to end the year at 2.5%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The number of unemployed Montanans is at its lowest level since data collection began in 1976, according to a press release from Gov. Greg Gianforte's office.

The number of unemployed Montanans also dropped to a record low of 13,689, falling by 1,719 from November.

Flathead County's unemployment rate was at 2.3% in December, with about 48,679 currently employed. That's up about 4,000 compared to last year.

Lincoln County's unemployment rate is 3.9%, and Lake County is at 2.2%.

The unemployment rate for the U.S. dropped to 3.9% in December.

Montana’s total employment hit a record high in December at 531,040. Total employment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 3,137 in December, the largest single month gain in 2021. Payroll employment also increased by 3,200 with strong job growth in retail.

According to a press release from the Governor's Office, the state has recovered all jobs lost since the start of the pandemic and then some. 531,040 Montanans were employed in December 2021 compared to 521,657 in March 2020.

Montana’s labor force increased to 544,729 in December, the third highest level in the state’s history. The number of available workers in Montana’s labor force, a critical metric during the current labor shortage, increased by 1,418.