Montana's unemployment rate jumped to 11.3% in April due to impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the Treasure State's jobless rate remains below the national rate of 14.7% in April.
Montana’s unemployment rate for the month of April was captured on April 12 during the stay at home order, according to a news release. Total employment, which includes agricultural, payroll, and self-employed workers, decreased by 55,766 jobs in April.
Nearly 18,000 Montanans have already returned to work since the state began reopening, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). DLI also reports that $376 million in unemployment benefits have been issued since March 16.
Leisure activities, which includes hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, and other entertainment and recreation businesses, was the hardest hit, with losses approaching nearly half of their total employment and exceeding 32,000 jobs, according to the April report.
****** 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 11.9%.
| Unemployment Rate | Employment | |||
Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
1 | Liberty | 2.8 | 0.8 | 918 | -31 |
2 | McCone | 3 | 1.4 | 871 | -57 |
2 | Petroleum | 3 | 0.1 | 255 | -15 |
4 | Carter | 3.2 | 0.3 | 606 | -5 |
5 | Daniels | 4.3 | 2.9 | 799 | -71 |
6 | Garfield | 4.4 | 2.8 | 689 | -35 |
7 | Treasure | 4.6 | 1.9 | 310 | -15 |
8 | Powder River | 5.3 | 3.6 | 879 | -43 |
9 | Blaine | 5.4 | 2.2 | 2,225 | -190 |
10 | Fallon | 5.9 | 4.4 | 1,483 | -178 |
11 | Chouteau | 6 | 3.6 | 2,214 | -145 |
12 | Prairie | 6.2 | 2.8 | 411 | -43 |
13 | Golden Valley | 6.8 | 2.7 | 328 | -24 |
13 | Sweet Grass | 6.8 | 4 | 1,588 | -125 |
15 | Teton | 6.9 | 3.8 | 2,431 | -223 |
16 | Beaverhead | 7.2 | 4.3 | 4,395 | -499 |
17 | Dawson | 7.3 | 5.2 | 3,919 | -603 |
18 | Judith Basin | 7.4 | 4.6 | 951 | 59 |
18 | Pondera | 7.4 | 3.7 | 2,331 | -232 |
20 | Valley | 7.5 | 4.7 | 3,525 | -385 |
21 | Rosebud | 7.7 | 3 | 3,238 | -367 |
22 | Phillips | 7.8 | 3.9 | 1,665 | -148 |
23 | Meagher | 7.9 | 4.5 | 833 | -85 |
24 | Roosevelt | 8 | 3.3 | 3,730 | -592 |
25 | Toole | 8.1 | 6.3 | 1,821 | -232 |
26 | Custer | 8.3 | 5.7 | 5,127 | -724 |
26 | Madison | 8.3 | 5.8 | 4,497 | -460 |
28 | Fergus | 8.4 | 5.6 | 5,088 | -822 |
28 | Sheridan | 8.4 | 6.6 | 1,546 | -174 |
30 | Hill | 8.7 | 5.4 | 6,432 | -876 |
31 | Stillwater | 9.4 | 6.4 | 4,685 | -277 |
32 | Jefferson | 9.5 | 6.4 | 4,842 | -626 |
33 | Musselshell | 9.6 | 5.9 | 1,933 | -249 |
34 | Lake | 9.7 | 5.7 | 11,221 | -1,268 |
35 | Powell | 10.2 | 6.1 | 2,455 | -339 |
36 | Deer Lodge | 10.5 | 7.3 | 4,265 | -602 |
36 | Wibaux | 10.5 | 7.4 | 394 | -42 |
38 | Big Horn | 10.6 | 3 | 3,896 | -621 |
39 | Lewis and Clark | 10.7 | 8 | 30,309 | -4,196 |
39 | Ravalli | 10.7 | 6.8 | 17,330 | -1,982 |
41 | Yellowstone | 11.1 | 8.2 | 70,945 | -8,324 |
42 | Broadwater | 11.2 | 7.4 | 2,182 | -260 |
43 | Richland | 11.3 | 8.7 | 4,856 | -790 |
44 | Cascade | 12.1 | 9 | 32,481 | -4,313 |
44 | Wheatland | 12.1 | 9.1 | 717 | -34 |
46 | Gallatin | 12.3 | 10.2 | 58,770 | -6,817 |
47 | Carbon | 12.4 | 9.1 | 4,813 | -478 |
48 | Glacier | 13 | 5.4 | 4,507 | -535 |
49 | Missoula | 13.1 | 10 | 56,316 | -5,316 |
50 | Sanders | 13.8 | 7.5 | 4,062 | -440 |
51 | Silver Bow | 13.9 | 10.2 | 14,254 | -2,197 |
52 | Granite | 16.4 | 10 | 1,434 | -155 |
53 | Flathead | 16.6 | 11.6 | 39,811 | -4,811 |
54 | Park | 16.9 | 13.5 | 7,493 | -839 |
55 | Mineral | 18.3 | 12.7 | 1,441 | -203 |
56 | Lincoln | 18.5 | 10.8 | 6,459 | -892 |
****** 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 11.9%. 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 | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
1 | Flathead | 10.3 | 6 | 11,012 | -1,234 |
2 | Fort Peck | 10.5 | 4.8 | 3,364 | -515 |
3 | Fort Belknap | 13.3 | 5.6 | 729 | -62 |
4 | Crow | 15.8 | 4.4 | 1,994 | -310 |
5 | Blackfeet | 17.8 | 7.3 | 3,195 | -376 |
6 | North Cheyenne | 18.2 | 6.4 | 1,115 | -144 |
7 | Rocky Boy's | 22.8 | 12.9 | 942 | -108 |
