HELENA — Gov. Steve Bullock has announced that Montana’s fell 2.9% points to 9.0% in May.
The Montana unemployment rate remained below the national rate of 13.3% in May.
Montana posted the third-fastest payroll employment growth among states in May with 4% over the month growth, and had the seventh-lowest unemployment rate in the country, according to a news release.
Private payroll employment posted a record-breaking gain of 15,700 jobs over the month, with improvement across most private industries.
Job losses in the local government sector kept overall payroll employment gains to 13,300 jobs.
Total employment (including both payroll jobs and the self-employed) added 16,780 jobs over the month – the most jobs added in any single month since the data series began in 1976.
Despite the job gains, Montana’s May employment estimate remains roughly 44,000 jobs below its pre-pandemic peak.
Since the peak of unemployment claims during the week of April 18, nearly 29,000 Montanans have gone back to work to date and are no longer making a claim.
In addition, approximately 15,000 Montanans have gone back to work part-time.
Unemployment Rate
| Employment | |||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Liberty | 2.4 | 0.4 | 883 | -26 |
| 2 | Carter | 2.8 | -0.3 | 584 | -19 |
| 3 | Garfield | 3.2 | 1.7 | 666 | -53 |
| 4 | McCone | 3.5 | 2 | 858 | -65 |
| 5 | Daniels | 3.6 | 2.2 | 813 | -63 |
| 6 | Powder River | 3.8 | 2.2 | 876 | -51 |
| 7 | Petroleum | 3.9 | 1.7 | 249 | -15 |
| 8 | Treasure | 4.6 | 2.5 | 310 | -14 |
| 9 | Blaine | 4.7 | 2.1 | 2,281 | -159 |
| 9 | Chouteau | 4.7 | 2.5 | 2,246 | -149 |
| 9 | Sweet Grass | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1,633 | -101 |
| 12 | Fallon | 5.0 | 3.8 | 1,529 | -156 |
| 13 | Beaverhead | 5.1 | 2.7 | 4,560 | -375 |
| 13 | Teton | 5.1 | 2.6 | 2,492 | -191 |
| 15 | Valley | 5.2 | 3 | 3,695 | -312 |
| 16 | Judith Basin | 5.4 | 3.2 | 949 | 47 |
| 17 | Fergus | 5.7 | 3.6 | 5,288 | -646 |
| 18 | Hill | 6.0 | 3.2 | 6,709 | -724 |
| 18 | Phillips | 6.0 | 3.5 | 1,682 | -113 |
| 20 | Wibaux | 6.2 | 3.8 | 408 | -40 |
| 21 | Sheridan | 6.3 | 4.5 | 1,575 | -132 |
| 22 | Pondera | 6.4 | 3.2 | 2,380 | -230 |
| 23 | Custer | 6.5 | 4.4 | 5,445 | -592 |
| 24 | Meagher | 6.6 | 3.6 | 812 | -57 |
| 24 | Powell | 6.6 | 3.1 | 2,579 | -291 |
| 24 | Stillwater | 6.6 | 4 | 4,878 | -139 |
| 27 | Deer Lodge | 6.7 | 4.1 | 4,499 | -409 |
| 28 | Golden Valley | 6.8 | 2.9 | 330 | -19 |
| 29 | Lewis and Clark | 6.9 | 4.6 | 31,925 | -3,045 |
| 30 | Jefferson | 7.1 | 4.7 | 5,062 | -468 |
| 30 | Toole | 7.1 | 5 | 1,881 | -187 |
| 32 | Madison | 7.4 | 4.8 | 4,003 | -327 |
| 32 | Prairie | 7.4 | 4.2 | 423 | -34 |
| 32 | Ravalli | 7.4 | 4.2 | 18,117 | -1,562 |
| 35 | Broadwater | 7.6 | 4 | 2,282 | -198 |
| 36 | Musselshell | 7.7 | 4.9 | 1,991 | -181 |
| 36 | Roosevelt | 7.7 | 4.2 | 3,908 | -487 |
| 36 | Yellowstone | 7.7 | 5.1 | 73,843 | -5,829 |
| 39 | Rosebud | 7.9 | 3.9 | 3,463 | -206 |
| 40 | Cascade | 8.0 | 5.2 | 34,938 | -2,072 |
| 40 | Lake | 8.0 | 4.6 | 11,888 | -996 |
| 42 | Dawson | 8.2 | 6.2 | 4,052 | -455 |
| 43 | Carbon | 8.7 | 5.9 | 4,941 | -361 |
| 44 | Gallatin | 8.9 | 6.7 | 61,730 | -4,329 |
| 45 | Silver Bow | 9.0 | 6 | 14,963 | -1,612 |
| 46 | Big Horn | 9.3 | 2.7 | 4,077 | -430 |
| 46 | Missoula | 9.3 | 6.7 | 58,042 | -4,505 |
| 48 | Richland | 9.5 | 7.2 | 5,044 | -645 |
| 49 | Glacier | 9.8 | 3.7 | 4,833 | -425 |
| 50 | Wheatland | 9.9 | 7.2 | 710 | -46 |
| 51 | Sanders | 10.0 | 5.5 | 4,288 | -371 |
| 52 | Granite | 11.0 | 6.2 | 1,437 | -125 |
| 53 | Flathead | 11.9 | 8 | 42,303 | -3,429 |
| 54 | Park | 12.6 | 9.7 | 8,065 | -612 |
| 55 | Lincoln | 12.7 | 7.1 | 6,905 | -738 |
| 55 | Mineral | 12.7 | 8.6 | 1,553 | -174 |
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 8.5 | 4.9 | 11,654 | -975 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 9.6 | 5.3 | 3,524 | -421 |
| 3 | Fort Belknap | 11.3 | 5.4 | 747 | -52 |
| 4 | Blackfeet | 13.7 | 5.1 | 3,416 | -302 |
| 5 | Crow | 13.9 | 4.0 | 2,086 | -214 |
| 6 | Rocky Boy's | 17.1 | 8.5 | 974 | -93 |
| 7 | Northern Cheyenne | 18.1 | 7.9 | 1,184 | -89 |
