HELENA — Montana’s unemployment rate continued to drop in May, falling to 3.6% which is down from 4.0% in January and marks a 9.1% drop over one year ago.
The unemployment rate for the U.S. was 5.8% for the month of May.
“Montanans who were sidelined during the pandemic are returning to the workforce and getting back to work,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said.
Montana’s total employment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 2,221 in May. Meanwhile, the labor force added 1,908 workers last month.
Payroll jobs declined by 700 in May, with drops in construction and leisure and hospitality accounting for most of the loss.
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 0.6% over the month in May.
The lowest unemployment rate was 1.4% in McCone County while the highest jobless rate in Montana stood at 8.1% in Big Horn County.
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | McCone | 1.4 | -2.1 | 964 | 57 |
| 2 | Daniels | 1.5 | -2.1 | 916 | 55 |
| 3 | Garfield | 2 | -1 | 723 | 35 |
| 4 | Judith Basin | 2 | -4.1 | 904 | 18 |
| 5 | Liberty | 2 | -0.5 | 951 | 58 |
| 6 | Powder River | 2 | -1.9 | 965 | 104 |
| 7 | Toole | 2 | -5.1 | 2132 | 186 |
| 8 | Fallon | 2.1 | -3.4 | 1643 | 174 |
| 9 | Sweet Grass | 2.1 | -2.7 | 1874 | 153 |
| 10 | Meagher | 2.2 | -4.7 | 891 | 67 |
| 11 | Petroleum | 2.3 | -1.3 | 259 | 16 |
| 12 | Powell | 2.3 | -4.3 | 2908 | 199 |
| 13 | Beaverhead | 2.4 | -3 | 5076 | 419 |
| 14 | Chouteau | 2.4 | -2.5 | 2408 | 139 |
| 15 | Custer | 2.6 | -3.9 | 6246 | 475 |
| 16 | Valley | 2.6 | -2.9 | 4039 | 327 |
| 17 | Fergus | 2.7 | -3.1 | 5875 | 480 |
| 18 | Hill | 2.7 | -3.7 | 7387 | 458 |
| 19 | Lewis and Clark | 2.7 | -4.4 | 36320 | 3339 |
| 20 | Teton | 2.7 | -2.6 | 2767 | 189 |
| 21 | Gallatin | 2.7 | -6.7 | 66673 | 4761 |
| 22 | Dawson | 2.8 | -5.5 | 4465 | 257 |
| 23 | Deer Lodge | 2.8 | -4 | 5131 | 508 |
| 24 | Stillwater | 2.8 | -4.4 | 5307 | 479 |
| 25 | Treasure | 2.8 | -1.7 | 353 | 38 |
| 26 | Wibaux | 2.8 | -3.6 | 446 | 37 |
| 27 | Carter | 2.9 | -0.1 | 611 | 31 |
| 28 | Jefferson | 2.9 | -4.3 | 5734 | 512 |
| 29 | Phillips | 2.9 | -3 | 1852 | 113 |
| 30 | Pondera | 2.9 | -3.4 | 2635 | 162 |
| 31 | Yellowstone | 2.9 | -5.2 | 80388 | 5380 |
| 32 | Ravalli | 3.1 | -4.5 | 20892 | 2165 |
| 33 | Cascade | 3.1 | -5.5 | 36483 | 2550 |
| 34 | Prairie | 3.2 | -4.8 | 461 | 38 |
| 35 | Missoula | 3.2 | -6.8 | 61907 | 4943 |
| 36 | Rosebud | 3.3 | -4.9 | 3693 | 189 |
| 37 | Silver Bow | 3.3 | -6.1 | 16796 | 1552 |
| 38 | Blaine | 3.4 | -1.7 | 2246 | 91 |
| 39 | Broadwater | 3.4 | -4.5 | 2622 | 294 |
| 40 | Carbon | 3.4 | -5.6 | 5348 | 370 |
| 41 | Lake | 3.4 | -4.8 | 13649 | 1347 |
| 42 | Park | 3.4 | -10.9 | 8500 | 981 |
| 43 | Sheridan | 3.4 | -3 | 1732 | 144 |
| 44 | Madison | 3.5 | -5.6 | 3940 | 403 |
| 45 | Golden Valley | 3.8 | -3.3 | 351 | 23 |
| 46 | Flathead | 3.9 | -8.5 | 48030 | 5228 |
| 47 | Musselshell | 4.1 | -3.6 | 2299 | 197 |
| 48 | Sanders | 4.1 | -5.9 | 5050 | 501 |
| 49 | Roosevelt | 4.3 | -3.6 | 4313 | 263 |
| 50 | Granite | 4.5 | -8.2 | 1487 | 177 |
| 51 | Mineral | 4.6 | -9.2 | 1729 | 219 |
| 52 | Richland | 4.6 | -4.6 | 5437 | 46 |
| 53 | Wheatland | 4.6 | -5.5 | 742 | 64 |
| 54 | Lincoln | 5.6 | -7.5 | 7767 | 713 |
| 55 | Glacier | 7.1 | -3.2 | 5013 | 181 |
| 56 | Big Horn | 8.1 | -1.2 | 4520 | 201 |
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | ||||
| Rank | Area | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 3.6 | -5.1 | 13370 | 1314 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 5.3 | -4.6 | 3885 | 247 |
| 3 | Fort Belknap | 7.7 | -4.4 | 739 | 30 |
| 4 | Rocky Boy's | 8.6 | -9.4 | 1065 | 66 |
| 5 | Northern Cheyenne | 9.4 | -9.1 | 1280 | 63 |
| 6 | Blackfeet | 9.7 | -4.6 | 3557 | 134 |
| 7 | Crow | 12 | -1.9 | 2311 | 108 |
