Montana Sees Drop In Unemployment Rate For July
Montana’s unemployment rate dropped in July, but there was an increase in new unemployment applications filed last week, according to the Associated Press.
The state’s unemployment rate was 6.4 percent in July, down from the 7.2 percent in June as the state continued to rebound from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, state officials said Friday. Montana has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S., well below the national unemployment rate of 10.2 percent.
The unemployment rate in Roosevelt County was 7.3 percent. The unemployed rate in Phillips County was 5.5 percent, and 2.9 percent in Daniels County. Valley County’s rate was 4.2 percent with 168 people filing for unemployment in July. The unemployment rate in Valley County was at 7.5 percent in April during the peak of the COVID-19 shutdown.
An increase in hiring was led by the leisure and hospitality sectors, which added 1,400 jobs in July, followed by education and health services, which added 900 jobs.
But unemployment in Montana remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, with about 18,000 fewer jobs.
“More Montanans are returning to work and we’re continuing to provide relief to those who need it most by supporting key industries and businesses to ensure the state stays on the path toward economic recovery,” Gov. Steve Bullock said. “This public health emergency is far from over and we must continue to prioritize the health and safety of all Montanans to ensure our economy stays on the right track.”
While July’s unemployment figures indicate improvement, the number of new applications for unemployment assistance in Montana rose during the second week of August, figures from the U.S. Department of Labor show.
Over 1,800 Montana residents filed for unemployment during the week ending Aug. 15, an increase of 11% from the previous week. The increase comes as the state announced it would provide $400 in additional weekly unemployment assistance, after the $600 weekly payments created under federal coronavirus relief plans ended in late July.
At least 137,000 Montanans have been unemployed at some point since the beginning of the pandemic in March, representing 30 percent of the total workforce in Montana that is eligible for unemployment benefits.
