HELENA — Montana’s unemployment rate declined in March to 3.8%, marking the state’s third consecutive month of lower unemployment rates.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate was 6.0% in March.
Payroll employment saw growth of 4,000 jobs over the month, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
The Leisure and Hospitality sector added 1,300 jobs, while the manufacturing, education, and health sectors each added 800 jobs.
Montana’s total employment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 1,210 jobs in March.
The labor force grew by 439 workers in March, signaling a rebound from recent declines.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 0.6% in March, the largest one-month increase since August 2012.
Prices for gasoline, which rose 9.1% in March, and natural gas were major contributors to the increase.
The lowest jobless rate was seen at 2.1% in Daniels and McCone counties. Big Horn and Glacier counties had the highest unemployment rates at 9.0%.
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Daniels | 2.1 | -1.3 | 884 | 9 |
| 2 | McCone | 2.1 | -0.2 | 950 | 29 |
| 3 | Liberty | 2.6 | -0.7 | 978 | 21 |
| 4 | Petroleum | 2.6 | -1.8 | 260 | -2 |
| 5 | Garfield | 2.9 | -0.7 | 728 | -5 |
| 6 | Gallatin | 3 | 0.1 | 67552 | 224 |
| 7 | Carter | 3.1 | 0 | 632 | -16 |
| 8 | Sweet Grass | 3.3 | -0.2 | 1806 | 57 |
| 9 | Toole | 3.3 | -0.6 | 2041 | 43 |
| 10 | Fallon | 3.4 | 0.8 | 1577 | -64 |
| 11 | Judith Basin | 3.4 | -1.3 | 939 | -37 |
| 12 | Meagher | 3.4 | -0.2 | 971 | 6 |
| 13 | Powder River | 3.4 | -0.3 | 969 | 34 |
| 14 | Beaverhead | 3.5 | -0.4 | 4850 | -35 |
| 15 | Chouteau | 3.5 | -0.2 | 2376 | -55 |
| 16 | Powell | 3.6 | -1.9 | 2789 | 96 |
| 17 | Hill | 3.7 | -0.5 | 7190 | -102 |
| 18 | Stillwater | 3.7 | -0.1 | 5098 | -48 |
| 19 | Dawson | 3.8 | 0.3 | 4403 | -39 |
| 20 | Lewis and Clark | 3.8 | -0.1 | 35029 | 332 |
| 21 | Pondera | 3.8 | -0.4 | 2582 | 11 |
| 22 | Golden Valley | 3.9 | -1.2 | 347 | -5 |
| 23 | Madison | 3.9 | -0.3 | 4985 | -59 |
| 24 | Deer Lodge | 4.1 | -0.5 | 4783 | -10 |
| 25 | Jefferson | 4.1 | -0.6 | 5556 | 51 |
| 26 | Yellowstone | 4.1 | 0 | 77299 | -2317 |
| 27 | Treasure | 4.2 | 1.6 | 339 | 0 |
| 28 | Valley | 4.2 | -0.1 | 3843 | -14 |
| 29 | Wibaux | 4.2 | 0.2 | 431 | -6 |
| 30 | Custer | 4.3 | 0.1 | 5940 | -49 |
| 31 | Teton | 4.3 | -0.1 | 2648 | -15 |
| 32 | Cascade | 4.3 | 0.1 | 35264 | -1262 |
| 33 | Carbon | 4.4 | -0.6 | 5182 | -127 |
| 34 | Sheridan | 4.4 | 1 | 1727 | -19 |
| 35 | Missoula | 4.4 | -0.1 | 59216 | -2676 |
| 36 | Blaine | 4.6 | -0.6 | 2182 | -27 |
| 37 | Fergus | 4.6 | -0.5 | 5574 | 92 |
| 38 | Rosebud | 4.6 | -0.8 | 3459 | -99 |
| 39 | Prairie | 4.8 | -0.5 | 439 | 6 |
| 40 | Ravalli | 4.8 | -0.7 | 19774 | 254 |
| 41 | Silver Bow | 4.9 | -0.3 | 16154 | -98 |
| 42 | Lake | 5 | -0.7 | 12964 | 34 |
| 43 | Park | 5.1 | -0.3 | 8080 | -202 |
| 44 | Richland | 5.2 | 1.5 | 5425 | -213 |
| 45 | Roosevelt | 5.3 | -0.3 | 4174 | -39 |
| 46 | Broadwater | 5.4 | -0.1 | 2457 | -7 |
| 47 | Musselshell | 5.4 | -0.1 | 2195 | -24 |
| 48 | Phillips | 5.5 | 0.7 | 1802 | -9 |
| 49 | Flathead | 5.6 | -1.3 | 45533 | 210 |
| 50 | Granite | 5.7 | -2.5 | 1515 | -55 |
| 51 | Sanders | 6.4 | -1.8 | 4703 | 25 |
| 52 | Wheatland | 6.9 | 1.2 | 710 | -7 |
| 53 | Mineral | 7.1 | -5.2 | 1549 | 13 |
| 54 | Lincoln | 8.4 | -3.6 | 7129 | -95 |
| 55 | Big Horn | 9 | 0.8 | 4424 | -137 |
| 56 | Glacier | 9 | -0.1 | 4623 | -451 |
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | Area | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 5.3 | -0.8 | 12684 | 20 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 6.8 | -0.3 | 3755 | -32 |
| 3 | Fort Belknap | 11 | -0.6 | 718 | -9 |
| 4 | Rocky Boy's | 11.8 | -1.1 | 1040 | -18 |
| 5 | Northern Cheyenne | 12.1 | -1.1 | 1217 | -37 |
| 6 | Blackfeet | 12.3 | -0.1 | 3293 | -300 |
| 7 | Crow | 13.3 | 1 | 2259 | -69 |
