The Office of the Governor of the State of Montana

08/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/21/2026 10:22

Montana’s Unemployment Rate Falls to 3.2%

Governor's Office

HELENA, Mont. - Governor Greg Gianforte today announced Montana's unemployment rate decreased slightly to 3.2 percent in July. Montana's unemployment rate was lower than the national unemployment rate, which also declined over the month to 4.1 percent.

"As Montana's unemployment rate continues to decline, businesses across our state are expanding, creating high-paying jobs, and opening up new opportunities for our workforce," Gov. Gianforte said. "Through the 406 JOBS initiative, we are building on our strong momentum and capitalizing on our growing economy to ensure Montanans who are ready to work can get connected to a meaningful career."

Total employment (which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers) increased by 625 jobs in July, while the labor force remained largely unchanged. The number of unemployed fell by nearly 600 in July, which, combined with increases in employment, resulted in a drop in the unemployment rate. Payroll jobs increased by 700 jobs in July, with growth in professional and business services, retail trade, and wholesale trade employment offsetting declines in accommodation and food service.

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in July. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index increased 3.4 percent before seasonal adjustment. The index for shelter rose 0.1 percent in July, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the monthly all-items increase. Core inflation, or the index for all items less food and energy, rose 2.5 percent over the last twelve months.

"Montana's unemployment rate is a positive sign for Montanans seeking their next opportunity," said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. "As employers continue to hire, we are committed to helping Montanans connect with the skills, resources, and careers that allow them to thrive."

###

** Unemployment figures are seasonally-adjusted. Seasonally-adjusted numbers remove the effects of events that follow a regular month-to-month pattern each year. These adjustments make non-seasonal patterns easier to identify. The margin of error for the unemployment rate is plus or minus 0.5 percentage points at the 90 percent confidence level. All questions relating to the calculation of unemployment rates should be directed to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry's Data and Operations Bureau at 406-444-4100.

The next Labor Market Information report, including data from August 2026, will be released on Friday, September 18th.

**** INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET ****

Visit our website at www.lmi.mt.gov for additional information and analysis, including industry employment levels, background on the unemployment rate, and wage rates by occupation. Visit www.lmi.mt.gov/home/job-tracking for Montana unemployment claims and current economic data.

****** COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ******

The unemployment rate and ranking for each of Montana's 56 counties is provided below for your convenience. County unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted and should be compared to the unadjusted statewide unemployment rate of 2.8%.

Unemployment Rate

Employment

Rank

County

Current Unemployment Rate

Change over Year

Current Employment

Job Change from Last Year

1

Prairie

1.4

-0.2

561

-201

2

Carter

1.6

-0.2

664

6

3

Powder River

1.7

-0.1

978

26

4

Garfield

1.8

-0.8

616

-14

4

Park

1.8

-0.4

11,547

323

6

Beaverhead

1.9

-0.4

4,688

22

6

Liberty

1.9

0

866

-3

6

Meagher

1.9

0.2

1,065

-19

6

Sweet Grass

1.9

-1

1,811

15

10

Judith Basin

2

-0.9

914

-17

10

Teton

2

-0.7

2,932

-26

12

Carbon

2.1

-0.5

5,611

-21

12

Sheridan

2.1

-0.6

1,648

-111

12

Toole

2.1

-0.6

2,198

35

12

Treasure

2.1

0.4

552

156

16

Gallatin

2.2

-0.1

78,081

-227

17

Custer

2.3

-0.2

6,310

16

17

Daniels

2.3

0.1

722

-28

17

Fallon

2.3

-0.2

1,507

109

17

Golden Valley

2.3

-0.3

431

-25

17

Wibaux

2.3

0.3

423

-8

22

Broadwater

2.4

-0.1

4,057

38

22

Fergus

2.4

-0.2

5,887

90

22

Richland

2.4

0.1

5,637

-114

22

Valley

2.4

-0.4

3,521

-106

26

Chouteau

2.5

-0.5

2,634

-57

26

Dawson

2.5

0.1

4,098

-99

26

Jefferson

2.5

-0.1

6,201

29

26

McCone

2.5

0.2

866

0

26

Flathead

2.5

-0.3

62,512

501

31

Lewis and Clark

2.6

-0.4

37,019

280

32

Missoula

2.7

-0.2

70,002

329

32

Stillwater

2.7

-0.7

4,597

-18

34

Phillips

2.8

-0.8

1,991

8

35

Blaine

2.9

-0.2

2,434

-144

35

Ravalli

2.9

-0.2

20,436

-89

35

Yellowstone

2.9

-0.4

86,856

-108

38

Cascade

3

-0.2

37,237

-310

39

Powell

3.1

-0.1

2,665

70

40

Deer Lodge

3.2

-0.1

4,393

46

41

Hill

3.3

-0.4

6,893

177

41

Mineral

3.3

-0.4

2,192

-6

41

Petroleum

3.3

-0.5

238

11

44

Lake

3.4

-0.5

14,576

245

44

Silver Bow

3.4

-0.1

17,439

18

46

Pondera

3.6

0.4

2,405

-86

47

Granite

4

-0.1

1,357

-8

47

Wheatland

4

0

703

23

49

Madison

4.1

0.1

3,157

-225

49

Sanders

4.1

-0.9

4,805

11

51

Rosebud

4.3

0.2

3,373

-44

52

Musselshell

4.6

-0.2

1,804

-49

52

Roosevelt

4.6

-0.5

3,510

-38

54

Lincoln

5.1

-0.2

8,114

-25

55

Glacier

5.3

-0.2

5,902

-86

56

Big Horn

6.2

-0.7

4,097

-46

****** RESERVATION UNEMPLOYMENT RATES ******

The unemployment rate and ranking for each of Montana's seven reservations is provided below. Reservation unemployment rates and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted and should be compared to the unadjusted statewide unemployment rate of 2.8%. Reservation areas overlap with county areas, meaning that unemployed individuals living on a reservation will be included in both the reservation and county totals.

Unemployment Rate

Employment

Rank

Area

Current Unemployment Rate

Change over Year

Current Employment

Job Change from Last Year

1

Flathead

4

-0.6

13,976

219

2

Fort Peck

6

-0.8

2,967

-41

3

Blackfeet

7.1

-0.2

4,313

-69

4

Rocky Boy's

9.2

-1

923

7

5

Northern Cheyenne

9.4

0

1,273

-16

6

Crow

10

-1.1

1,969

-20

7

Fort Belknap

11.9

-1.6

776

-43

###

The Office of the Governor of the State of Montana published this content on August 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 21, 2026 at 16:22 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]