In the months following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Billings, the unemployment rate went up and many businesses were forced to close their doors. Seven months later, the unemployment rate is down, and some industries are doing more hiring.
According to Jason Manning, owner of Express Employment Professionals, says most of the industries that he works with need hands-on work.
“Warehousing is really big right now because they got pushed back so far from the pandemic that they had millions of pounds of material to move that has been sitting there since March," Manning said.
Manning says that construction and other skilled labor positions are also picking up.
Montana's unemployment rate peaked in April at 11.9 percent, but it's since fallen. By August, it had fallen to 5.8 percent, and it fell again in September to 5.3 percent.
Xiaoyi Wang, workforce consultant supervisor for Job Service Billings, says that while the numbers have consistently gone down, Montana's future job market is unknown. She says the numbers are always changing.
Wang says some businesses are still finding it hard to attract employees. She says that some fast-food chains have tried to offer higher wages to attract more employees.
Both Manning and Wang say that even though COVID has disrupted the employment opportunities, many jobs are still available.
For more information visit your local employment office or temp agency.