Unemployment Rate at 3.2 Percent For State

Gov. Greg Gianforte announced last week that Montana’s unemployment rate rose 0.1 percent to 3.2 percent in August and remains a percentage point below the national average of 4.2 percent, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.

“Thanks to our impressive job and wage growth, Montanans are better equipped to handle still-high inflation brought on by the Biden-Harris administration,” Gianforte said. “We’ll continue to grow our economy and welcome investment from around the world to create good-paying jobs and help more Montanans reach the American dream.”

The state’s unemployment rate of 3.2 percent in August continues a record of 38 consecutive months with the rate at or below 3.4 percent. The next closest stretch was during 2006 and 2007, when the state’s unemployment rate remained at or below 3.4 percent for 15 consecutive months.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry announced that under Gov. Gianforte’s leadership, Montana’s labor force reached a record high of 580,000 people in 2023, with more than 10,000 Montanans entering the labor force last year alone. Last month, total employment rose by 532 jobs.